Factors associated with female students’ past year experience of sexual violence in South African public higher education settings: a cross-sectional study

Background: Sexual violence experiences are widely reported by female students in South African higher education institutions, as they are globally. However, there has been limited research focusing on investigating vulnerability factors, which is important for informing the development of interventions.
Objectives: To describe the factors and factor inter-relationships associated with female students' increased vulnerability to past year experience of sexual violence in South African higher education settings.
Methods: We interviewed 1293 female students i.e 519 students in six Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) college campuses and 774 students at three university campuses. Participants were volunteers aged 18-30.
Results: Twenty percent of participants experienced past year sexual violence (17% partner sexual violence and 7.5% non-partner rape). Childhood sexual abuse had direct effects on experiencing past year sexual violence and physical, emotional partner violence or controlling behaviours. Risky sexual behaviours mediated the relationships of childhood sexual abuse or harmful alcohol use and past year sexual violence experience. Mental ill health mediated the relationships between childhood sexual abuse, other traumatic exposures, food insecurity, physical, emotional partner violence or controlling behaviours and past year sexual violence experience.