Prevention of sexual violence in the public university in Guatemala – qualitative survey on suggestions from students

Abstract

Sexual violence is a global problem in higher education, with multiple adverse academic, social, and health outcomes. Universities can take several primary and secondary preventative actions to combat violence. The stakeholder (i.e. student) suggestions for universities have received some interest, but mainly in English-speaking, high-income countries. In this study, we report the findings of a qualitative survey in a middle-income Central American country, Guatemala. In an online study, students from the public university (N = 863) expressed their ideas on how to prevent sexual violence in the university. We analysed the data with the aid of inductive thematic analysis, creating four themes. The results highlighted how students thought that the university should take a major role in preventing and intervening in sexual violence. They also perceived collective action between students as an effective prevention strategy. Some ideas were gendered, shifting the responsibility to women (i.e. changing their behaviours/attire) and men (i.e. moral education about sexual conduct). The students also suggested how individual bystanders could address the situations with their actions. We discuss the results with reference to the global literature, as well as to the specific context of Guatemala.