Sexual violence in Indonesian University: On students’ critical consciousness and agency

Ainal Fitri; Muhammad Haekal; Almukarramah Almukarramah; Fitri Meliya Sari

doi:10.22373/equality.v7i2.9869

Sexual violence in Indonesian University: On students’ critical consciousness and agency

Ainal Fitri, Muhammad Haekal, Almukarramah Almukarramah, Fitri Meliya Sari

Abstract

This qualitative study analysed how aspects of critical consciousness in students played a role in the issue of sexual violence in a higher education institution. This research involved students, lecturers, and elements of higher education leaders of a university in Aceh, Indonesia. For the data collection method, the researchers used semi-structured interviews. The data was analysed using thematic analysis with the utilization of critical consciousness and student agency concept as the theoretical frameworks. This study found that aspects of critical consciousness played a significant role in dealing with sexual violence issues in university. Without critical consciousness, students would potentially err in analysing the issue of sexual violence. Aspects of students' critical consciousness were also influenced by the structure or discourse of higher education in viewing sexual violence. The tendency of campus to be more concerned with its good reputation also exacerbated the handling and prevention of sexual violence cases. The implication of this research is the finding that critical consciousness and institutional structure influence each other, both positively and negatively. To deal with sexual violence, a university must promote critical consciousness among students and academics, create pro survivors’ discourse and underpin students' agency, and most importantly, strive to cultivate gender equity perspective among university leaders. Future research should focus on investigating effective pedagogy to nurture critical consciousness for supporting the anti-sexual violence agenda in a higher education institution

Keywords

Critical consciousness; higher education; sexual violence; student agency

Full Text:

PDF

References

Adjie, M. F. P. (2020, August 27). “The Jakarta Post” wins 2020 SOPA Award with #NamaBaikKampus collaboration. The Jakarta Post. Retrieved from https://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2020/08/27/the-jakarta-post-wins-2020-sopa-award-with-namabaikkampus-collaboration.html.

Banyard, V. L., Rizzo, A. J., Bencosme, Y., Cares, A. C., & Moynihan, M. M. (2021). How community and peer perceptions promote college students’ pro-social bystander actions to prevent sexual violence. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 36(7–8), 3855–3879.

Brinkmann, S. (2014). Unstructured and semi-structured. In P. Leavy (Ed.), The Oxford handbook of qualitative research (pp. 277–299). New York: Oxford University Press, USA.

Christens, B. D., Winn, L. T., & Duke, A. M. (2016). Empowerment and critical consciousness: A conceptual cross-fertilization. Adolescent Research Review, 1(1), 15–27. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40894-015-0019-3

Dworkin, S. L. (2012). Sample size policy for qualitative studies using in-depth interviews. Springer.

Dykstra-DeVette, T. A., & Tarin, C. (2019). Isolating structures of sexual harassment in crowdsourced data on higher education. Women’s Studies in Communication, 42(3), 371–393.

Fairbairn, J. (2015). Rape threats and revenge porn: In J. Bailey & V. Steeves (Eds.), eGirls, eCitizens (pp. 229–252). University of Ottawa Press. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt15nmj7f.13

Gill, R., & Orgad, S. (2018). The shifting terrain of sex and power: From the ‘sexualization of culture’to# MeToo. Sexualities, 21(8), 1313–1324.

Gonzalez, H. B., & Feder, J. (2016). Sexual violence at institutions of higher education. Washington, DC. Retrieved from https://vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/handle/10919/98450

Haekal, M., & Fitri, A. (2020). Dilema peran ganda dosen perempuan selama pandemi Covid-19 di Indonesia. Jurnal Analisis Sistem Pendidikan Tinggi Indonesia, 4(2), 171–182. https://doi.org/10.36339/jaspt.v4i2.366

Hurtado, S. S. (2021). How neoliberalism shapes the role and responsibility of faculty members for eliminating sexual violence. The Journal of Higher Education, 92(4), 522–545.

Islam, M. R., & Hossain, M. J. (2021). Increments of gender-based violence amid Covid-19 in Bangladesh: A threat to global public health and women’s health. The International Journal of Health Planning and Management, n/a(n/a). https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1002/hpm.3284

Istiadah, I., Indah, R. N., & Rosdiana, A. M. (2020). Cultural religious challenges in handling sexual violence cases in Indonesian Islamic institutions. KnE Social Sciences, 4(10), 132–142. https://doi.org/10.18502/kss.v4i10.7400

Jessup-Anger, J., Lopez, E., & Koss, M. P. (2018). History of sexual violence in Higher Education. New Directions for Student Services, 2018(161), 9–19. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1002/ss.20249

Jones, C., Chappell, A., & Alldred, P. (2021). Feminist education for university staff responding to disclosures of sexual violence: a critique of the dominant model of staff development. Gender and Education, 33(2), 121–137.

Karami, A., White, C. N., Ford, K., Swan, S., & Spinel, M. Y. (2020). Unwanted advances in higher education: Uncovering sexual harassment experiences in academia with text mining. Information Processing & Management, 57(2), 102167.

Kirkner, A. C., Lorenz, K., & Mazar, L. (2020). Faculty and staff reporting & disclosure of sexual harassment in higher education. Gender and Education, 1–17.

Komnas Perempuan. (2012). 15 bentuk kekerasan seksual: Sebuah pengenalan. Jakarta. Retrieved from https://komnasperempuan.go.id/instrumen-modul-referensi-pemantauan-detail/15-bentuk-kekerasan-seksual-sebuah-pengenalan

Leavy, P. (2017). Research design: Quantitative, qualitative, mixed methods, arts-based, and community-based participatory research approaches. New York, London: Guilford Publications.

Magdalene. (2021, March 6). Tur ruang virtual untuk dorong pengesahan RUU PKS. Retrieved from Magdalene.co website: https://magdalene.co/story/tur-ruang-virtual-the-body-shop-indonesia

Marshall, C., Dalyot, K., & Galloway, S. (2014). Sexual harassment in higher education: Re-framing the puzzle of its persistence. Journal of Policy Practice, 13(4), 276–299.

Moor, A. (2010). She dresses to attract, he perceives seduction: A gender gap in attribution of intent to women’s revealing style of dress and its relation to blaming the victims of sexual violence. Journal of International Women’s Studies, 11(4), 115–127.

Moorman, A. M., & Osborne, B. (2015). Are Institutions of Higher Education failing to protect students: An analysis of Title IX’s sexual violence protections and college athletics. Marq. Sports L. Rev., 26, 545.

Morley, L. (2011). Sex, grades and power in higher education in Ghana and Tanzania. Cambridge Journal of Education, 41(1), 101–115.

Muhsin, I., Ma’mun, S., & Nuroniyah, W. (2021). Sexual violence in an Islamic higher education institution of Indonesian: A maqasid al-shariah and Foucauldian perspective. Samarah: Jurnal Hukum Keluarga Dan Hukum Islam, 5(1), 127–152.

Munir, A., & Junaini, W. (2020). Studi terhadap seorang perempuan sebagai korban revenge porn di Pekanbaru. SISI LAIN REALITA, 5(01), 21–35.

Najib, F. D. (2020). Blaming the victim: objektifikasi korban kekerasan seksual dalam pemberitaan di media online balairungpress.com. Interaksi Online, 8(2), 53–63.

Nikmatullah, N. (2020). Demi nama baik kampus vs perlindungan korban: kasus kekerasan seksual di kampus. QAWWAM, 14(2), 37–53.

OECD. (2019). OECD future of education and skills 2030–Conceptual learning framework–Concept note: Student agency for 2030. Paris. Retrieved from https://www.oecd.org/education/2030-project/teaching-and-learning/learning/student-agency/

Powell, S. R. (2018). Structure and agency in novice music teaching. Research Studies in Music Education, 41(2), 206–218. https://doi.org/10.1177/1321103X18794514

Rojas-Ashe, E. E., Walker, R. V, Holmes, S. C., & Johnson, D. M. (2019). Toward a more complete understanding of bystander willingness to help: What role does critical consciousness play? Sex Roles, 81(7), 415–427. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11199-019-1007-z

Rusyidi, B., Bintari, A., & Wibowo, H. (2021). The promotion of student’s efficacy to prevent sexual violence: How higher education institution should respond? Proceedings of Airlangga Conference on International Relations - ACIR, 63–67. Surabaya, Indonesia. https://doi.org/10.5220/0010273100630067

Saldaña, J. (2011). Fundamentals of qualitative research. New York: OUP USA.

Shih, Y.-H. (2018). Some critical thinking on Paulo Freire’s critical pedagogy and its educational implications. International Education Studies, 11(9), 64–70.

Sundler, A. J., Lindberg, E., Nilsson, C., & Palmér, L. (2019). Qualitative thematic analysis based on descriptive phenomenology. Nursing Open, 6(3), 733–739.

Thomas, A. J., Barrie, R., Brunner, J., Clawson, A., Hewitt, A., Jeremie-Brink, G., & Rowe-Johnson, M. (2014). Assessing critical consciousness in youth and young adults. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 24(3), 485–496. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1111/jora.12132

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.22373/equality.v7i2.9869