Unwanted Sexual Experiences among Christian College Women: Saying no on the Inside

Abstract

Of 332 female college students who responded to a survey, 51% indicated that they had experienced an unwanted sexual incident. Twenty percent of the incidents occurred in childhood and 72% in adolescence or young adulthood. The stories fell into several categories: 15% were rated as sexual assault by a stranger, 11% as date rape, 13% as incest, and 55% as “lost voice.” Extent of the sexual involvement ranged from mild (7%), to kissing (14%), petting (45%), and intercourse (20%). The majority of situations involved a boyfriend, friend, or family member. Subjects also assessed their parents’ attitudes on gender roles. Those subjects who reported unwanted sexual experiences rated their fathers’ and mothers’ views of women as significantly more traditional than subjects who had not reported such experiences. These data suggest that parents’ attitudes about gender roles may be related to vulnerability and lead to unwanted sexual experiences.

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