Sexual harassment and assault predict sleep disturbances and is partly mediated by nightmares: Findings from a national survey of all university students in Norway

Abstract

Summary Sexual harassment and assault is common in most domains of society, and has been linked to several adverse outcomes, including reduced sleep quality. However, less is known about the possible impact of sexual harassment and assault on various sleep problems among university students. In a sample of 49,051 students in Norway (69.2% women), we examined i) the associations of varying extents of sexual harassment (unwanted sexual comments, looks or gestures, photographs, indecent exposure, and physical harassment) and sexual assault (attempted or completed rape), with meeting Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fifth edition (DSM‐5) diagnostic criteria of insomnia and with sleep duration, ii) the association of cumulative exposure to sexual harassment/assault with insomnia and sleep duration, and iii) to what extent nightmares could explain the association between sexual harassment and insomnia and sleep duration. For both genders, all forms of harassments with the exception of “indecent exposure” and “unwanted sexual photographs” for men were negatively associated with sleep duration, with the strongest associations being found for “rape” and “attempted rape”. For both genders, the odds of insomnia increased as a function of cumulative harassment exposure. Similarly, a graded, negative association was found between cumulative harassment and sleep duration for both genders. Mediation analyses showed that 28% of the observed association between cumulative harassment and insomnia, and 15% of the association between cumulative harassment and sleep duration, was mediated by frequency of nightmares.

Posttraumatic stress disorder among sexual harassment victims: the role of social support, resilience, and religious coping

“…breasts or buttocks), female students experienced more verbal sexual harassment. This is in accordance with research findings that the most frequently reported sexual harassment is unwanted comments/verbal and physical harassment [56]. According to another survey, up to 72% of respondents have been verbally abused.…”

Sexual victimization among Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

“…The current results also indicate that 21.4% ( n = 282) of participating RCMP reported being sexually harassed while on duty and 7.1% ( n = 94) reported being sexually harassed during the CTP. The current results may have implications for RCMP mental health, as sexual victimization is associated with several mental health challenges (Dworkin, 2020; Steine et al, 2021). RCMP cadets may be at less risk for sexual victimization during the CTP because their exposures to civilians are less frequent than experienced by serving RCMP while on duty; however, the current results indicate that cadets also experience sexual assault and sexual harassment during their participation in the CTP and that, for many, the perpetrator was an organizational superior, coworker, peer, or even subordinate within the RCMP.…”

Sexual Harassment of Female University Students and Their Parents’ Reaction: Political Rights of Women, Law, Education, and Good Character Challenges in Pakistan

“…It can discourage victims from reporting incidents of sexual harassment and can perpetuate a culture of silence around the issue. A national survey by Steine et al (2021) of 49,051 Norwegian students revealed a substantial positive correlation between sexual harassment, nightmares, and insomnia. According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-4) and a survey conducted by Browne and Finkelhor (1986), university students have depression rates 12.9% higher than those of the general population.…”