Campus Safety and Resource Navigation for Student Survivors with Disabilities at California College Campuses

Background: Research on sexual violence and sexual harassment (SVSH) among college students continues to expand; however, scant research focuses on student survivors with disabilities. This study examines how these students perceive campus safety as well as their awareness, utilization, and trust of campus resources.

Methods: We surveyed students across California’s higher education institutions (N=1,655) using convenience sampling from May 2025 to February 2026. Logistic regressions examined associations between campus resource awareness and utilization, trust in campus resources, campus safety, disability status, and survivor status. Students were asked, “Do you have a disability or a long-term health condition that impacts your daily activities?” They were labeled as a “student with disability” if they answered “yes but I’d prefer not to share any details” or reported having at least one category of disability: physical, sensory, cognitive or learning, mental health condition, chronic illness, or other. Students were considered a survivor of SVSH if they answered “yes” or “unsure” to the question “Have you ever experienced unwanted sexual contact or harassment at any point in your lifetime, including relationship violence?”

Results: Overall 21.2% (n = 350) of students had at least one disability and were survivors of SVSH. Survivors with disabilities were twice as likely to report feeling unsafe on campus compared to other students (OR = 2.22, p < .001). 41.6% of survivors with disabilities did not reach out to anyone for support after experiencing SVSH. They were less likely to rate mandatory campus SVSH trainings as effective (OR = 0.70, p = 0.004), but more likely to have heard about campus counseling (22.5%; OR = 1.59, p = 0.008) and Title IX (24.5%; OR = 1.52, p = 0.002) prior to the survey compared to other students. Survivors with disabilities were also more likely than other students to report knowing what Title IX does (p = 0.016). However, they expressed higher trust in campus police, student health centers, and counseling services (ORs = 1.52–2.59, all p < .01) but lower trust in Title IX processes (OR = 0.51, p < .001).

Implications: Campus faculty and administrators can do more to raise awareness of resources for survivors of SVSH who have disabilities. This could include using accessible creative modalities for mandatory trainings, conducting targeted outreach to students about available resources, and ensuring that resources are accessible. Title IX processes could also be improved to build trust among students with accessibility needs. Future research should investigate why trust in resources like Title IX is low among student survivors with disabilities to identify specific areas for improvement. Further studies should also explore how survivors with disabilities perceive safety on campus and where campus safety measures can be enhanced. Overall, campus safety efforts should prioritize marginalized students, including those with disabilities. Social workers who frequently work with or for campus resources can help provide valuable insight into ensuring campuses are inclusive, safe, and supportive for students with disabilities, especially following an SVSH incident.