Coercive sexual behavior and the influence of alcohol consumption and religiosity among college students in the Bible belt

The present study was conducted to determine the prevalence of sexually coercive behavior among college students at a large southeastern university, with specific focus on the influence of alcohol use and religiosity. Data were collected by administering a survey to 210 male and female students. Participants answered survey questions regarding alcohol consumption, religiosity, and sexually coercive behavior. The results showed that sexual coercion does occur at an alarming rate and that alcohol consumption was a contributing factor in most cases of coercive behavior. Results also indicated that college students do consider religion to be an important aspect of their lives; however, alcohol consumption was found to interfere in the frequency of church attendance. Reasons for these results as well as ideas for future research are discussed.