Sexual Harassment of College and University Students: A Systematic Review

Klein, L. B.; Martin, Sandra L.

doi:10.1177/1524838019881731

Cited by 85 publications

(91 citation statements)

References 36 publications

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“…Another important limitation of these studies is the lack of control for known risk factors for sexual violence victimization in the university context to account for potential confounding variables. These should include belonging to an ethnic, sexual or gender minority ( Martin-Storey et al, 2018 ; Eisenberg et al, 2021 ; Klein and Martin, 2021 ), having a disability ( Bergeron et al, 2016 ), being an international or Indigenous student ( Dion et al, 2021 ; Fethi et al, under review) 1 or having been sexually abused as a child (CSA) ( Bergeron et al, 2016 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sexual Violence at University: Are Varsity Athletes More at Risk?

et al. 2022

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Some studies report that the sport context increases the risk of exposure to sexual violence for athletes. In contrast, others indicate a protective effect of sport participation against sexual violence, particularly among varsity athletes. Studies of sexual violence towards varsity athletes are limited by their failure to include control groups and various known risk factors such as age, graduate level, gender and sexual identity, disability status, international and Indigenous student status, and childhood sexual abuse. The purpose of the present study is to fill in these gaps to determine whether varsity athletes are at greater risk than non-athletes of sexual violence towards them or whether, on the contrary, involvement in a varsity sport is coherent with the Sport Protection Hypothesis. Data for this article come from the ESSIMU study (Enquête sur la Sexualité, la Sécurité et les Interactions en Milieu Universitaire), a broad survey of students, professors, and other employees at six francophone universities regarding sexual violence on university campuses. A total of 6,485 students with complete data on sexual violence, athlete status, and gender were included in the study. From this total, 267 participants identified themselves as varsity athletes. Data were analyzed using a series of logistic regressions on each form of violence using athlete status as a predictor and characteristics associated with sexual violence victimization or distinguishing between varsity athletes and non-athletes as confounding variables. When considering all confounding variables in the regression analyses on four yearly incidence rates of sexual violence, the results revealed that being a varsity athlete did not significantly increase the risk of exposure to sexual violence at university. All considered other variables were more significant predictors of the past year’s risk of sexual violence victimization than athlete status was.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sexual Violence at University: Are Varsity Athletes More at Risk?

et al. 2022

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“…Mirroring findings from various contexts around the world (Henry, 2017;Nahar et al, 2013;Zietz and Das, 2018), gender norms governing appropriate feminine behavior also featured prominently in participant narratives, and women's perceived violation of gender norms was cited as a major justification for SH. Although individuals perceived to violate gender norms are also at increased risk of SH at universities in the United States and Europe (Dall'Ara and Maass, 1999;Klein and Martin, 2019;National Academies of Sciences, E., & Medicine, 2018), inequitable gender norms are rarely highlighted in campus-based prevention programs in these Global North settings (G. J. Towl and Walker, 2019), with some notable exceptions (Salazar et al, 2019).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Diagnosing Norms Surrounding Sexual Harassment at a Jordanian University

et al. 2021

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Sexual harassment (SH) is a form of gender-based violence (GBV) that negatively impacts women’s physical, mental, social, and financial well-being. Although SH is a global phenomenon, it also is a contextualized one, with local and institutional norms influencing the ways in which harassment behavior manifests. As more women attend institutions of higher education in Jordan, these women are at increased risk of experiencing SH in university settings, with potential implications for their health and future employment. Social norms theory, which examines the informal rules governing individual behavior within groups, has been a useful framework for understanding and developing interventions against GBV globally. We sought to apply a social-norms lens to the understanding and prevention of SH at a Jordanian university. To gain a comprehensive and nuanced picture of social norms surrounding SH, we collected qualitative data using three complementary methods: focus group discussions (n = 6) with male and female students (n = 33); key informant interviews with staff and faculty (n = 5); and a public, participatory event to elicit anonymous short responses from students (n = 317). Using this data, we created a codebook incorporating social-norms components and emergent themes. As perceived by participants, SH was unacceptable yet common, characterized as a weak norm primarily because negative sanctioning of harassers was unlikely. Distal norms related to gender and tribal affiliation served to weaken further norms against SH by blaming the victim, preventing reporting, discouraging bystander intervention, and/or protecting the perpetrator. The complexity of the normative environment surrounding SH perpetration will necessitate the use of targeted, parallel approaches to change harmful norms. Strengthening weak norms against SH will require increasing the likelihood of sanctions, by revising university policies and procedures to increase accountability, increasing the acceptability of bystander intervention and reporting, and fostering tribal investment in sanctioning members who harass women. Creating dialogue that emphasizes the harmful nature of SH behaviors and safe spaces to practice positive masculinity also may be an effective strategy to change how male students interact in the presence of peers. Any social norms change intervention will need to consider the various reference groups that dictate and enforce norms surrounding SH.

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“…Second, reflecting the prevalence of sexual harassment that occurs in academia (e.g. Guarderas et al, 2018;Klein & Martin, 2019), the present study focused on bystander behaviour in the context of Higher Education in Ecuador. However, other contexts are also important, and may present different barriers to bystander intervention.…”

Section: Limitations and Future Researchmentioning

confidence: 99%

Barriers to sexual harassment bystander intervention in Ecuadorian universities

Lyons

Brewer

Caicedo

et al. 2021

Global Public Health

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Previous research, mainly in the United States, has identified several barriers to acting as a bystander in sexual harassment at university campuses. Despite the high frequency of harassment in Latin America, there is a dearth of studies investigating barriers to bystander behaviour in this context. In this pilot study, we report findings exploring harassment and bystander behaviour in university staff and students in Ecuador, a Latin American country characterised by masculine social norms and high levels of gender-based harassment. In an on-line survey, 129 staff and students from universities in different regions of Ecuador answered questions about perceptions of seriousness of harassment, rape myth acceptance, actual incidences of being a perpetrator, victim, or a bystander, and the likelihood and difficulties of bystander action. Women and those who scored higher in rape myth acceptance reported more intervention difficulties. In addition, women and those who had previously perpetrated harassment rated their likelihood of intervening lower. Finally, perceptions of harassment as a serious problem in campuses related to a higher likelihood of intervening as a bystander. We discuss the results in terms of practical applications in devising culturally appropriate bystander intervention workshops.

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Sexual Harassment of College and University Students: A Systematic Review

Cited by 85 publications

References 36 publications

Sexual Violence at University: Are Varsity Athletes More at Risk?

Sexual Violence at University: Are Varsity Athletes More at Risk?

Diagnosing Norms Surrounding Sexual Harassment at a Jordanian University

Barriers to sexual harassment bystander intervention in Ecuadorian universities

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