The Role of Mandatory Reporting, Perpetrator and Violence Type, and Alcohol Consumption in Undergraduates’ Likelihood of Disclosing Sexual Violence

Abstract

It remains unclear if mandatory reporting (MR) of sexual violence (SV) in universities impacts student reports of SV. MR may deter students from disclosing SV under certain circumstances (e.g., alcohol, perpetrator). This study evaluated students’ likelihood of reporting SV under MR policy across perpetrators, violence, and alcohol use. Female students received instructional manipulations describing either confidential or mandatory reporting policies before reading four vignettes describing SV. They rated their likelihood of reporting each vignette. Significant differences arose across vignettes, conditions, and alcohol consumption. This indicates MR can significantly decrease reporting likelihood in some cases, while alcohol consumption may increase the likelihood.