Sexual assault is a widespread problem among institutions of higher education. Students whose gender and/or sexuality are minoritized (GSM; non-cisgender and/or non-heterosexual) are especially vulnerable to experiencing sexual assault and its negative consequences, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). A sense of belonging within the campus community can protect victims of sexual assault from negative psychological outcomes; however, no study to date has examined whether this aspect of a positive campus climate protects GSM victims, in particular, from developing more severe PTSD symptoms after sexual assault. We hypothesized that GSM victims would experience more severe PTSD symptoms than non-GSM victims after experiencing sexual assault and that their perceptions of campus climate would moderate this relationship. All undergraduate students from a public liberal arts college on the East Coast were asked to participate in an online survey about their history of sexual assault and emotional well-being. Of those who completed the survey, approximately 18% reported a history of sexual assault ( N = 146). GSM victims of sexual assault reported more severe PTSD symptoms than non-GSM victims; however, a significant interaction showed that PTSD symptoms were similar for GSM and non-GSM victims with high ratings of campus climate. Thus, positive perceptions of campus climate protected GSM students from experiencing more severe PTSD symptoms. These findings inform administrative efforts by suggesting the need for more inclusive support resources (i.e., crisis centers and orientation materials), curricula, and community spaces for GSM students.

中文翻译：

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我属于：性别和性行为使学生对校园氛围的积极看法 防止性侵犯后的创伤后应激障碍


性侵犯是高等教育机构中普遍存在的问题。性别和/或性取向为少数群体（GSM;非顺性别和/或非异性恋）的学生特别容易受到性侵犯及其负面后果，包括创伤后应激障碍 （PTSD）。校园社区内的归属感可以保护性侵犯受害者免受负面心理结果的影响;然而，迄今为止，还没有研究检查积极的校园氛围的这一方面是否能保护 GSM 受害者，特别是防止在性侵犯后出现更严重的 PTSD 症状。我们假设 GSM 受害者在遭受性侵犯后会比非 GSM 受害者经历更严重的 PTSD 症状，并且他们对校园氛围的看法会缓和这种关系。来自东海岸一所公立文理学院的所有本科生都被要求参加一项关于他们的性侵犯历史和情绪健康的在线调查。在完成调查的人中，大约 18% 的人报告有性侵犯史 （ N = 146）。GSM 性侵犯受害者报告的 PTSD 症状比非 GSM 受害者更严重;然而，一项重要的交互作用表明，GSM 和非 GSM 受害者的 PTSD 症状相似，对校园氛围评分很高。因此，对校园气候的积极看法保护了 GSM 学生免于出现更严重的 PTSD 症状。这些发现通过建议需要为 GSM 学生提供更具包容性的支持资源（即危机中心和定向材料）、课程和社区空间，为行政工作提供信息。