Attitudes Towards Unwanted Sexual Situations

Abstract

Undergraduate, female students are at a higher risk for unwanted sexual experiences. In 2014 White House Task Force to Protect Students from Sexual Assault estimated that 1 in 5 women on college campuses have experienced sexual assault while in college (Muehlenhard et al., 2017). Prior research on stigma has focused on other identities such as members of the LGBTQ+ community, those living with HIV/AIDS and those with mental health challenges. While the adverse health outcomes associated with sexual assault are similar to those other stigmatized, concealable identities there has not been any research specifically focused on how stigma impacts sexual assault survivors. Minimal research has been conducted regarding their willingness to seek help after their experience. The present study aims to examine how self-stigma, perceived stigma, and attitudes towards unwanted sexual experiences impacts help-seeking behaviors in hypothetical scenarios. It also examines whether help-seeking behavior in hypothetical scenarios of sexual assault vary based on the source and gender of support. To answer these questions, 131 self-identified females enrolled in Principles of Psychology at SUNY Brockport completed an online survey via Qualtrics. Existing measures of perceived stigma and self-stigma of individuals with concealable identities were adapted for sexual assault.