Campus Sexual Violence

A Comparison of International and Domestic Students

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.32674/jis.v13i1.3685

Keywords:

International students, campus sexual violence, intersectionality, posttraumatic stress, disclosure

Abstract

The current study used an intersectional framework to investigate international students' experiences of sexual violence and examine differences in contexts, consequences, and disclosure between international and domestic students. Secondary analyses (chi-squares, multivariate logistic regressions) were conducted on previously collected data. The sample consisted of 6,554 students, including 764 international students. Compared with their domestic peers, international students of all ages, genders, sexual orientations, minority status, grade levels, and time spent at university faced an increased likelihood of being the target of sexual violence. Contexts and disclosure of victimization did not vary by student status. International students reported more PTSD symptoms after campus sexual violence. Future studies are needed to determine why perpetrators target international students. Prevention and intervention efforts need to acknowledge diversity among international students and potential victims who could be men, women, LGBTQ+ students, undergraduate and graduate students.

Author Biographies

  • Ihssane Fethi, Université de Montréal

    Ihssane Fethi, BA (Hons) is a PhD candidate in clinical psychology at the University of Montreal (Canada). Her research interests include sexual violence among marginalized populations, intersectionality, and sexual violence prevention.

  • Isabelle Daigneault, Université de Montréal

    Isabelle Daigneault, PhD, is an associate professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Montreal (Quebec, Canada). She runs the research laboratory on the trajectories of health and resilience of sexually assaulted youth (TRAJETS). Her research projects are related to resilience and health of youth who have experienced sexual assault and processes influencing life trajectories of young victims.

  • Manon Bergeron, University of Québec in Montréal

    Manon Bergeron, PhD, is an associate professor at the Département de sexologie at the Université du Québec à Montréal (Quebec, Canada). She holds the Research Chair on sexist and sexual violence in higher education. Her research projects address sexual violence in higher education and prevention of sexual violence.

  • Martine Hébert, University of Québec in Montréal

    Martine Hébert, PhD, trained as a psychologist and professor at the Département de sexologie at the Université du Québec à Montréal (Quebec, Canada), is the Canada Research Chair in interpersonal traumas and resilience. Her main research interests center on sexual abuse and teen dating violence. Her current projects explore personal and familial factors related to recovery following sexual abuse and the effectiveness of prevention and intervention programs, in collaboration with different practice settings. Her research projects also examine risk factors related to revictimization and profiles of resilience in youth victims of interpersonal traumas.

  • Francine Lavoie, Laval University

    Francine Lavoie, PhD, is a professor in community psychology at Université Laval, Québec. Over the years, she has received grants on marital violence, dating violence, and mutual aid groups. She has also developed and evaluated two prevention programs on dating violence (ViRAJ and PASSAJ) for high school students. Her more recent work was on violence in Nunavik and on sexualized social activities in adolescence. She is a fellow of the Society for Community Research and Action (American Psychological Association).

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2022-04-16

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Vol. 13 No. 1 (2023)

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Research Articles (English)

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Campus Sexual Violence: A Comparison of International and Domestic Students . (2022). Journal of International Students, 13(1), 1-21. https://doi.org/10.32674/jis.v13i1.3685