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ERIC Number: EJ1150874
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2017-Jul
Pages: 6
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0897-5264
EISSN: N/A
Unwanted Sexual Contact: Students with Autism and Other Disabilities at Greater Risk
Brown, Kirsten R.; Peña, Edlyn Vallejo; Rankin, Susan
Journal of College Student Development, v58 n5 p771-776 Jul 2017
Ten percent of college students identify as having a disability, and a subsample of this population, students with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs), are increasingly participating in higher education. Autism spectrum disorders represent a spectrum of neurodevelopmental differences that can contribute to difficulties in communication and social interactions. Very little literature about sexual harassment, unwanted sexual contact, or assault of children with ASD exists. The broader literature indicates that college students with disabilities experience "higher rates of victimization"; however, there is no existing literature that examines unwanted sexual contact or sexual assault for college students with ASD. To address this, the authors used data from a multi-institution climate assessment to examine the following research question: What is the prevalence of unwanted sexual contact for college students who self-identify as a person with ASD and two comparison groups: college students with other types of disabilities and students without disabilities? Nine campuses were involved in this study, and university community members completed 104,208 surveys for an overall response rate of 27%. The data used in this project came from a campus climate assessment conducted in a state's college/university system in 2012. Descriptive statistics, including chi-square tests and measures of effect size, were employed in the analyses. The findings suggest that college students with ASD and their peers with disabilities are more likely to experience unwanted sexual contact when compared to students without disabilities.
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A