The intersection of disabilities and the risk of sexual assault victimization among female college students

J Am Coll Health. 2025 Nov 3:1-29. doi: 10.1080/07448481.2025.2577661. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Objective: To expand understanding of how disability status, disability type, and contextual factors shape past-year sexual assault victimization among female college students. Participants: ACHA-NCHA III (Fall 2020-Spring 2022) data from 94,284 female students at U.S. 4-year institutions. Methods: Separate logistic regressions modeled five past-year outcomes-any sexual assault, sexually touched, attempted assault, completed assault, and relationship assault-with predictors for disability status and specific types (ADD/ADHD, learning disability, blindness/low vision, deaf/hearing loss, autism spectrum disorder, mobility/dexterity, and speech/language) and interaction terms with contextual factors: sexual orientation, Greek life membership, and alcohol/cannabis use frequency. Results: Female students with disabilities had higher predicted probabilities across all outcomes, with the largest disparities for ADD/ADHD, learning disability, and blindness/low vision. Interaction models revealed amplified risk among non-heterosexual and Greek-affiliated students and increased as alcohol and cannabis use frequency rose. Conclusion: Findings support disability-informed prevention through coordinated campus advocacy and disability services.

PMID:41183988 | DOI:10.1080/07448481.2025.2577661