Learning the Rules of the Game: Sexual Adaptation and Boundary Maintenance Among U.S. College Students

Introduction Sexual violence is pervasive on U.S. college campuses, yet little is known about how the transition to college shapes the ways students manage sexual boundaries. This study examines how U.S. college students navigate desire, intimacy, and consent as they adapt to new campus sexual environments organized around white, hetero-masculine hookup cultures. Methods We analyze semi-structured interviews with 148 undergraduate students across seven U.S. colleges conducted between Spring 2019 and Fall 2021. Results We find that students engaged in what we call “sexual adaptation” by adjusting their sexual boundary management strategies as they learned the norms of the sexual fields on campus. While most participants sought emotional connection, they found that campus sexual fields were governed by white hetero-masculine norms and oriented toward casual sex. Many students situationally compromised their consent standards to conform to field-level scripts, which exacted notable personal costs. Participants’ capacities to maintain their boundaries were further constrained by differences in social power with sexual partners. Conclusions The findings show that sexual adaptation, or the process of learning the rules of a sexual game that people do not necessarily or intentionally choose to play, operates within the context of geographic relocation (including domestic movement) and is shaped by students’ social positions within fields organized around white hetero-masculine norms. Policy Implications Campus sexual violence prevention efforts must move beyond affirmative consent trainings to address structural conditions, such as white hetero-masculine cultures embedded on campus, which undermine students’ capacities for sexual self-determination.