Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37728132›Full record

SynthesisTrauma, violence & abuse2024

The Prevalence of Sexual Assault Among Higher Education Students: A Systematic Review With Meta-Analyses.

Bridget Steele, Mackenzie Martin, Alessandra Sciarra, G J Melendez-Torres, Michelle Degli Esposti, David K Humphreys

Abstract readSystematic ReviewMeta-Analysis
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Trauma, violence & abuse, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 21 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
21citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

21 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Sexual Violence and Shame: A Meta-Analysis.Trauma, violence & abuse · 2026
    Pooled it
  2. The IDEABMC women's health · 2026
    Trial
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  9. Review
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  11. Suffering in Silence: Examining U.S. College Students' Painful Sexual Experiences and Their Relationship to Gender Roles.International journal of sexual health : official journal of the World Association for Sexual Health · 2026
    Article
  12. Article
  13. Article
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  16. Review
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Bridget SteeleUniversity of Oxford, UK.ORCID 0000-0002-2028-558X
Mackenzie MartinUniversity of Oxford, UK.
Alessandra SciarraUniversity of Oxford, UK.
G J Melendez-TorresUniversity of Exeter, UK.ORCID 0000-0002-9823-4790
Michelle Degli EspostiUniversity of Oxford, UK.
David K HumphreysUniversity of Oxford, UK.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Sexual assault among higher education students has detrimental impacts on the health and educational outcomes of survivors. This systematic review aims to describe and synthesize the available quantitative evidence on sexual assault prevalence among this population. We searched Medline, EMBASE, Global Health, PsycINFO, Web of Science, ERIC, and CINAHL for studies published in English, French, Italian, and Spanish from database inception to August 2020 (updated May 2022). We screened studies using prespecified inclusion criteria for the population and context (registered higher education students), condition (self-reported sexual assault), and study design (quantitative survey). The Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal Checklist was used to assess study quality. Prevalence estimates disaggregated by type of sexual assault, gender identity, and world region were meta-analyzed using a random-effects model and reported following PRISMA guidance. We identified 131 articles, from 21 different countries. The meta-analyzed prevalence of sexual assault was 17.5% for women, 7.8% for men, and 18.1% for transgender and gender diverse people. Four types of sexual assault were identified: rape, attempted rape, forced sexual touching, and coercive sex. Forced sexual touching was the most common act experienced. The African Region had the highest prevalence estimates for women's sexual assault, and the Western Pacific region had the highest prevalence estimates for men's sexual assault. Higher education institutions, especially those outside of the United States, should commit to the implementation of surveys to monitor sexual assault prevalence and dedicate increased resources to supporting student survivors of sexual assault.

Indexed as

Sex OffensesStudentsCrime VictimsFemaleHumansMalePrevalenceRapeUniversitiesYoung Adulthigher educationmeta-analysisprevalencereviewsexual assaultsexual violence

Identifiers

PMID37728132
PMCPMC11155219

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.