Sorority Membership and Sexual Victimization: An Examination of Potential Mediators of the Association.
This study examined putative mediators of the association between sorority membership and sexual victimization among 718 women who were enrolled in their first year of college. Data were collected through anonymous, self-report surveys that assessed sexual victimization in college, two hypothesized mediator variables (i.e., alcohol misuse and number of sexual partners), and four control variables (i.e., minority racial status, residence in a coed dorm, behavioral and psychological problems before college, and sexual victimization before college). Values for both sexual victimization variables were collapsed into one of three categories (i.e., no victimization, moderately severe victimization, severe victimization). Bivariate analyses revealed sorority members had higher levels of alcohol misuse, number of sexual partners, and severe sexual victimization in college than did nonmembers. Multivariate analyses showed number of sexual partners mediated the association between sorority membership and both types of sexual victimization in college, whereas alcohol misuse mediated the association between sorority membership and severe sexual victimization in college only. Implications of the findings for future research and prevention, along with limitations of the study, are discussed.
['Kingree|J B|JB|', 'Thompson|Martie|M|']
D019548:Crime Victims D005260:Female D006801:Humans D012742:Sex Offenses D012725:Sexual Behavior D013334:Students D014495:Universities
adolescent victims alcohol and drugs dating violence sexual assault