Prevalence of Sexual Assault and Opportunities for its Prevention at Lithuanian University of Health Sciences

Aim of the study – to investigate a prevalence of sexual assault against students of Lithuanian University of Health Sciences in an academe as well as to prepare a model for its prevention. Objectives: determine the prevalence of sexual assault in the academe and its risk factors; perform an analysis of an evidence based prevention; prepare the model of a prevention. Methods. We have selected epidemiologic research method – instant investigation (type of observation study). Anonymous questionnaire survey was selected as our research data collection method (see appendices 4 and 5). The aim of the latter questionnaire is to discover the prevalence of sexual assault against students of LSMU. During the research we have surveyed students from various degrees of studies (including students from foreign countries). In total we have surveyed 8263 students but 1,736 (21%) were used for data analysis. For research analysis there were used the following methods: analysis proposed in scientific papers, questionnaire survey, and statistic data analysis. Results. The results show that the majority of the respondents (71,1%) claim that they feel safe in academia, however, 50,5% of the respondent’s state that they have suffered from verbal abuse. Furthermore, 17,9% of survey participants experienced non-verbal abuse and 22,3% unpleasant physical contact. Additionally, 5,2% respondents claim that it was tried to use sexual assault against them while 4,5% were sexually assaulted in academia. Sexual assault is mostly used against women (4,1%). All of the respondents who have suffered from sexual assault also experienced sexual harassment. Commonly women become victims while men are perpetrators. The majority of those who were abused claim that their offenders were related to LSMU. The results of questionnaire also show that the majority of the respondents did not try to help victims while noticing the potential of sexual assault. More than 70% state that they have neither been trained nor received an information about how to deal with sexual assault. Conclusions: 1. it has been discovered that more than a half of the respondents (54,9%, N=947) were sexually harassed in academic environment. Against 5,9% of the participants was tried to use sexual assault and 4,5% have suffered from it. Sexual assault is mostly used against women (4,1%). All of the survey participants that have experienced sexual assault have also suffered from sexual harassment. Commonly, women are the victims and men are the offenders. The majority of those who have faced sexual assault or harassment claim that the offenders were related to the university. Furthermore, most of the students that witnessed sexual assault did not try to help victim. In addition, over 70% state that they were neither trained or received an information on how to deal with the sexual assault; 2. the prevention “Bringing in the bystander” selected by LSMU involves the whole community of the university by bringing in students and other staff members. By looking at the results and recommendations proposed by foreign authors, additional prevention methods are foreseen. The university proposes a programme called “Stop Sexual Violence” which combines the following: change of social attitude towards sexual assault, training on how to reduce sexual assault related incidents, providing wider opportunities for women, securing academic environment, providing support for victims that experienced sexual assault; 3. a principle scheme of sexual assault prevention model for the university was established. The model consists of four structural blocks. The first block aims to create a preventive work group. The purpose of the second structural unit is to prepare local university’s documents of sexual assault, such as the objectives of preventive actions, the concept of sexual harassment and assault, and the official form of sexual assault reporting. The third block aims to organize and implement preventive activities. Before establishing the preventive activities on the university’s website, it is mandatory to create a section about sexual assault. The earlier mentioned work group has to determine which forms of assistance the LSMU can provide to the victims, as well as to identify and select preventive measures for sexual assault that suit the university. The working group also has to prepare a programme of preventive measures and ensure its implementation. The goal of fourth unit is to monitor and evaluate the appropriateness and effectiveness of the prevention algorithm and the proposed model