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Meta-Analysis
. 2024 Jul;25(3):1885-1898.
doi: 10.1177/15248380231196119. Epub 2023 Sep 20.

The Prevalence of Sexual Assault Among Higher Education Students: A Systematic Review With Meta-Analyses

Bridget Steele  1 , Mackenzie Martin  1 , Alessandra Sciarra  1 , G J Melendez-Torres  2 , Michelle Degli Esposti  1 , David K Humphreys  1
Affiliations
Meta-Analysis

The Prevalence of Sexual Assault Among Higher Education Students: A Systematic Review With Meta-Analyses

Bridget Steele et al. Trauma Violence Abuse. 2024 Jul.

Abstract

Sexual assault among higher education students has detrimental impacts on the health and educational outcomes of survivors. This systematic review aims to describe and synthesize the available quantitative evidence on sexual assault prevalence among this population. We searched Medline, EMBASE, Global Health, PsycINFO, Web of Science, ERIC, and CINAHL for studies published in English, French, Italian, and Spanish from database inception to August 2020 (updated May 2022). We screened studies using prespecified inclusion criteria for the population and context (registered higher education students), condition (self-reported sexual assault), and study design (quantitative survey). The Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal Checklist was used to assess study quality. Prevalence estimates disaggregated by type of sexual assault, gender identity, and world region were meta-analyzed using a random-effects model and reported following PRISMA guidance. We identified 131 articles, from 21 different countries. The meta-analyzed prevalence of sexual assault was 17.5% for women, 7.8% for men, and 18.1% for transgender and gender diverse people. Four types of sexual assault were identified: rape, attempted rape, forced sexual touching, and coercive sex. Forced sexual touching was the most common act experienced. The African Region had the highest prevalence estimates for women's sexual assault, and the Western Pacific region had the highest prevalence estimates for men's sexual assault. Higher education institutions, especially those outside of the United States, should commit to the implementation of surveys to monitor sexual assault prevalence and dedicate increased resources to supporting student survivors of sexual assault.

Keywords: higher education; meta-analysis; prevalence; review; sexual assault; sexual violence.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of Conflicting InterestsThe author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
PRISMA flow diagram.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Defining sexual assault based on included studies.
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
Sexual assault prevalence disaggregated by type.
Figure 4.
Figure 4.
Sexual assault prevalence disaggregated by WHO world region.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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