Campus climate impacts on sexual violence: a Bayesian comparison of undergraduate and community colleges

Abstract

Objective Sexual violence is endemic on college campuses. Four-year campuses present high-risk environments for sexual violence and heavy episodic drinking is a robust risk factor for victimization. However, limited literature exists on sexual violence at two-year institutions, with most research focused on four-year campuses. We examined whether campus climates affect sexual violence prevalence rates. Participants Sexual misconduct campus climate data from two-year and four-year campus students. Methods We used Bayesian logistic regressions to compare sexual victimization odds between two- and four-year campuses. Results Four-year students were twice as likely to have experienced sexual victimization and 2.5 times more likely to engage in heavy episodic drinking compared to two-year students. The risk of sexual victimization associated with heavy episodic drinking was reliably similar across campus types. Conclusions Campus climates reliably impact student’s risk of sexual victimization. Based on these findings, two- and four-year campuses may need to implement distinct prevention services.