Intersectionality and Perceptions About Sexual Assault Education and Reporting on College Campuses

Abstract

A mixed‐methods design with an intersectional feminist framework was used with 1,899 students at a large Southern university to critically examine (a) how students view the issue of sexual assault on their own campus, (b) how they perceive the status of reporting sexual assault to campus officials, and (c) how they are responding overall to a campus‐wide sexual assault education program. Some privileged groups, especially heterosexual men, were less informed than others about sexual assault and less supportive of campus sexual assault education. In contrast, some marginalized groups, including lesbian, gay, and bisexual students, perceived campus sexual assault to be a more serious issue than did other groups, but they were also most critical of heteronormative biases in most campus programing. Non‐White students were most supportive of sexual assault education. Empirically driven implications for campus sexual assault programs are provided.