Sexual coercion and harassment of students with disabilities in tertiary institutions: A systematic review

Introduction: This study reviews existing scientific publications on sexual harassment and coercion of students with disabilities in tertiary institutions, a significant global public health and human rights concern.

Methods: The review was guided by the PRISMA guidelines, whilst the protocol was registered with PROSPERO. Six main databases were searched in addition to supplementary search from other sources. The Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS), Dixon-Woods et al. tool and the Quality Assessment for Diverse Studies (QuADS) tools were used to assess the quality of the studies. Two authors extracted the data, with the third author checking for bias risks. The studies were narratively synthesised where key variables such as the prevalence of sexual harassment and coercion were critically analysed.

Results: Out of the 4,968 articles retrieved, 5 were included in the review. The findings revealed that students with disabilities have an increased propensity for sexual coercion/harassment relative to those with no disabilities. The prevalence of sexual harassment/coercion ranged from 10.49% (out of 5,319 students) to 85% (51 out of 60 students) across the studies, with perpetrators mainly being fellow students and faculty/administrative staff. Lack of understanding and awareness of existing institutional policies and support systems regarding sexual harassment/coercion were key contributing factors.

Conclusion: Since sexual harassment perpetuates inequality and undermines progress towards Sustainable Development Goals 5 (Gender Equality), 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), and 16 (Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions), students with disabilities should be involved in policy development to combat sexual misconduct in tertiary institutions.