Among college students, unwanted sexual behavior, including assault and rape, remains an all too common experience. Unwanted sexual behavior is a general concept that includes sexual assault or rape but may also incorporate any behavior involving sexual contact. There are four types of unwanted sexual behavior: vaginal intercourse, anal intercourse, oral intercourse, and fondling. Sexual assault among college students is known to occur frequently in the context of romantic or intimate dating. However, “hooking up” (single, casual encounters) with the possibility of sexual intercourse but with no expectation of future commitment, is becoming increasingly prevalent among college students. The consumption of alcohol is believed to be greatly linked to sexual assault as well as hooking up.
A survey-based study (sample of 250 over-18 year-olds) was done to show the relationships between self-reported occurrences of unwanted sexual behavior; the types of social circumstances in which such events occur (hookups, dating, ongoing relationships, parties, bars); the factors that contributed to those encounters (alcohol or other drugs, easier to just go along, happened before could be stopped, verbal and physical pressure, desired at the time, maintain a relationship); and predictors of unwanted sexual behavior, including consistency of hooking up and alcohol use.
Researchers of this study expected three major hypotheses. First, women were expected to report more experiences of unwanted sexual intercourse and unwanted fondling compared to men. Second, the unwanted sexual intercourse would be reported to occur most often in hookups and that individuals who hooked up more often would be more likely to report unwanted intercourse. Third, alcohol will play an important role in the unwanted intercourse/fondling.
Results of the study supported the hypothesis that female students were more often the victims of unwanted intercourse and unwanted fondling. 23% and 37% of women, as compared to only 7% and 18% of men, reported at least one incident of unwanted intercourse and unwanted fondling, respectively. Results of the study also support the hypothesis that hooking up is a risk factor for unwanted sexual intercourse. 78% of unwanted sexual intercourse occurred during a hookup. Not surprisingly, the results showed that alcohol did in fact play a significant role in unwanted sexual behavior. Impaired judgment from intoxication was most frequently appointed as the top three reasons for the occurrence of unwanted intercourse/fondling.
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