As stated by ATTN, new research has found bisexual women are more susceptible to college campus sexual assault than people of other sexual orientations.
The investigation, which was published in the Violence and Gender Journal, reveals approximately two in five bisexual women disclosed they experienced sexual assault in college while one in four heterosexual women disclosed they were sexually assaulted in college.
Sexual assault is a very under-reported crime for a wide range of reasons, and it is under-reported when it occurs on college and university campuses as well, forensic behavioral specialist and Violence and Gender EIC, Dr. Mary Ellen O’Toole reported. To really understand the breadth and depth of this problem, it is critical to understand the victimology of sexual assault, and that it includes all students, not just heterosexual females.
Kate Estrop, co-founder of the Bisexual Resource Center, explained to Refinery 29 that bisexual women are often perceived as having many sexual partners or are “easy,” which only adds to higher chances of blaming the victim.
Bi folks are seen as greedy, sex-driven, unable to form committed relationships, and prone at any moment to change their minds about their attractions, she explained. “[A survivor’s] bisexuality is just another reason [people think] she should be blamed and offenders should be pitied as not being able to help themselves, Estrop stated.
