title: The context and consequences of sexual assault among undergraduate women at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).
abstract: To examine the context of sexual assault and postassault actions and consequences among women attending historically Black colleges or universities (HBCUs), web-based surveys were administered in November 2008 to 3,951 undergraduate women attending four HBCUs. Data on the context in which assaults occurred were generated for women who had been sexually assaulted since entering college (n = 358). Multivariate models were run on the full sample to examine the association between sexual assault and symptoms of depression and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Results indicated that most survivors were assaulted by assailants well known to them and when the survivor and perpetrator were drinking alcohol. Very few survivors disclosed their experiences to formal sources of support. Survivors had significantly more symptoms of depression and were more likely to screen positive for PTSD than nonvictims. Further research on disclosure and its moderating role on the mental health consequences of sexual assault is needed.
authors.affiliation: RTI International, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709-2194, USA. lindquist@rti.org
authors.forename: Christine H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Lindquist
authors.forename: Kelle
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Barrick
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Krebs
authors.forename: Carmen M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Crosby
authors.forename: Allison J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Lockard
authors.forename: Kathy
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sanders-Phillips
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D012742:Sex Offenses / Q000523:psychology*; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000523:psychology; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology*; D014495:Universities; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: African Americans; HBCU; Historically Black College or University; rape; sexual assault