Global prevalence and nature of sexual violence among higher education institution students: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract

BackgroundSexual violence (defined as any attempted or completed sexual act obtained by force, violence, or coercion) among higher education students is a public health problem. Determing the prevalence of sexual violence is key to understanding the scope of this issue. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to estimate the global prevalence of sexual violence among higher education students. MethodsIn this systematic review and meta-analysis, we searched Medline, EMBASE, Global Health, PsycINFO, Web of Science, ERIC, and CINHAL for studies published in English, French, Italian, and Spanish from database inception to Aug 12, 2020. We screened studies (10% were double screened) using prespecified inclusion criteria for the population (higher education students), self-reported sexual violence victimisation as a higher eduction student (excluding sexual harassment), context (higher education institution), and study design (ie, quantitative or cross-sectional survey). Quality assessment was conducted using The Joanna Briggs Institure Critical Appraisal Checklist for Studies Reporting Prevalence Data. Prevalence estimates, disagregated by severity and gender identity, were meta-analysed using a random-effects model. This study is registered with PROSPERO, CRD42020171142. FindingsWe identified 104 studies, from 16 different countries, measuring sexual violence victimisation. 75 (72%) of 104 studies were based in the USA. The risk of bias among studies varied substantially given the sampling methods and sample sizes. Included studies had an overall low risk of bias (81 studies had low risk of bias and 23 studies were at high risk of bias) due to the rigorous inclusion criteria of only including studies using self-reported sexual violence surveys among higher education students. The overall meta-analysed prevalence rate for sexual violence victimisation was 17·4% (95% CI 15·2–19·8) for women and 7·8% (5·7–10·5) for men. When disaggregated by severity, 11·4% of women experienced coercive sex, 14·5% forced sexual touching, 8·2% attempted rape, and 5·9% rape. Comparatively, 6·8% of men experienced coercive sex, 6·4% experienced forced sexual touching, 1·1% experienced attempted rape, and 2·4% rape. InterpretationPrevalence estimates in studies of sexual violence among higher education students vary considerably because of inconsistencies in how sexual violence is defined and measured, and the sampling methods used. The meta-analysed victimisation estimates provide insight into how sexual violence among higher education students manifests itself among this population. FundingSocial Science and Humanities Research Council, Canada.