The sexual harassment crisis in higher education has reached\nemergency levels, with cases emerging not only in small colleges but\nalso in the nation\u2019s most reputable universities. In early June 2026, 16\nstudents from the Faculty of Law at the University of Indonesia were\nfound guilty of engaging in obscene chats. The campus administration\nmoved quickly to address the case after it went viral online. A similar\ncyber harassment case was reported at Brawijaya University in Malang,\nEast Java, where a high-achieving law student allegedly spread a\nvictim\u2019s private photos in an 18+ Telegram group. In Yogyakarta, a\nstudent at Ahmad Dahlan University was reported to the Sleman Police for\nallegedly harassing two female students during a community service\nprogramme. Meanwhile, at the University of North Sumatra, the Task Force\nfor the Prevention and Handling of Sexual Violence received 10 reports\nfrom victims of a single perpetrator at the Faculty of Economics and\nBusiness, with the total number of victims suspected to be around 66\nstudents.<\/p>\n
Data from the Ministry of Women\u2019s Empowerment and Child Protection\nrecorded 2,681 cases of sexual violence in higher education settings. A\nnational survey indicates that up to 77 percent of violence in education\ntakes the form of sexual harassment, yet 63 to 66 percent of victims\nchoose to remain silent or are afraid to report. Studies by the PPKS\nTask Force show that 52 percent of incidents occur on campus, 26 percent\noff campus, and 22 percent online. The forms of harassment are diverse,\nranging from physical contact to verbal abuse, sexist jokes, catcalling,\nand the non-consensual distribution of private images. The impact on\nstudents is devastating, leading to declining academic performance,\nanxiety, and long-term psychological trauma.<\/p>\n
Victims\u2019 silence is driven by several factors. Imbalanced power\nrelations are a primary cause, as perpetrators often hold positions of\nauthority, such as lecturers, senior students, or administrative staff,\nleading victims to fear academic retaliation or social ostracism.\nAdditionally, reporting systems are widely perceived as convoluted and\nunsupportive, forcing victims to relive their trauma during lengthy\nconfirmations and procedures. The pervasive stigma and threat of\nvictim-blaming further deter reports, as the gradual public exposure of\na victim\u2019s identity during the process instils deep shame and fear. To\naddress this emergency, Indonesia has ratified the Sexual Violence Crime\nLaw and issued Minister of Education and Culture Regulation Number 55 of\n2024 on the Prevention and Handling of Sexual Violence in Higher\nEducation.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/sexual-harassment-crisis-on-campus-why-victims-stay-silent-1784094746", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }