ABSTRACT
The dissonance between athletic departments and the rest of campus can seem particularly acute around the issue of sexual assault. The author focuses on four factors that contribute to creating a team environment prone to promoting sexual assaults: peer support for violence against women; normativity of interpersonal violence; institutional support for male privilege; and institutional practices that fail to hold athletes accountable for criminal behavior. One of the strongest predictors that an individual will engage in sexual assault is expressed support for violence against women by peers. Men living in sex-segregated, male-privileged environments are more likely to engage in sexual assaults. Members of an all-male group on campus are more likely to commit a sexual assault if they think the consequences will be minimal and/or there are people with power on campus that will protect them. The speed with which a university/athletic department responds to an accusation of sexual assault contributes to an athlete's perception of institutional support.
