SEXUAL VIOLENCE IN UNIVERSITIES IN INDONESIA: BETWEEN STUDENT NEGATION AND RESISTANCE

This qualitative study aimed to investigate how the academic community at a university in Aceh, Indonesia, views the handling of cases of sexual violence on campus. After conducting preliminary research, this research was continued by conducting in-depth interviews with nine students, three lecturers, and two university leaders. Through thematic analysis, this study found that although students are at high risk of becoming victims, some students still deny the potential for sexual violence on campus because of the lack of critical consciousness and the absence of standard rules from the university regarding sexual violence. On another side, the researchers found the emergence of resistance among female students against the sexual violence issue, even though it did not base on critical awareness and collective organization. The implication of this research is the potential for dealing with cases of sexual violence by utilizing the seeds of resistance that arise among students. Future research should explore how the academic community in higher education builds critical awareness in a collaborative and participatory way to deal with the issue of sexual violence