Perceptions of Consent Among College Students: The Effects of Perpetrator, Target, and Perceiver Gender

52 | 2025

Frank Kotey*, Maureen C. Kenny**, Jasmin Hernandez***

* Florida International University, United States of America
https://orcid.org/0009-0000-6885-9960
** Florida International University, United States of America
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5859-2913
*** Florida International University, United State of America
https://orcid.org/0009-0008-5224-7167

Sexual assault is prevalent on college campuses, undermining student safety and success. About 1 in 4 female and 1 in 14 male undergraduates experience sexual violence (Cantor et al. 2019). Misunderstandings of sexual consent, especially involving coercion, may correlate with these rates. This online survey (n=565) examined participants’ perceptions of 10 coercion scenarios, focusing on the interaction between participant gender and perpetrator–victim gender combinations. Ordinal logistic regression revealed significant gender differences, with men being less likely than women to identify specific scenarios as nonconsensual. Findings highlight the need for targeted consent education and accountability policies.

Keywords

trauma, college sexual violence, consent, sexual assault

DOI: https://doi.org/10.22355/exaequo.2025.52.04
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Direitos de autor: Creative Commons – CC BY NC

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