Prevention and Response Strategies for Sexual Violence in Indonesian State Universities: A Multi-Case Study

Abstract

Sexual violence in higher education has become a persistent institutional and legal problem in Indonesia, according to the Women's Commission, there were 45,069 reported cases in 2020, yet prevention and response mechanisms vary considerably across universities. This study examines the strategies used by Indonesian state universities to prevent and respond to sexual violence against women and identifies institutional gaps that limit their effectiveness. Using a descriptive qualitative case-study design, the research was conducted in state universities under the Ministry of Religious Affairs and the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology. Data were collected through observation, semi-structured interviews, and document analysis involving heads of centres for gender and child studies, PPKS task-force members, legal-aid officers, lecturers, students, and campus units responsible for sexual-violence prevention and response. The findings show that universities have developed multiple initiatives, including institutional regulations, standard operating procedures, PPKS task forces, gender and child study centres, complaint and legal-aid services, awareness programmes, peer-support groups, faculty-level focal points, and gender-responsive learning activities. Case-responding mechanisms generally include reporting, protection, assistance, sanctioning, and victim recovery through medical, psychological, legal, spiritual, and academic support. However, implementation remains uneven. Major weaknesses include limited transparency, insufficient case monitoring, inconsistent sanctions, weak coordination between campus units and external agencies, and institutional tendencies to prioritise reputation over victim-centred justice. The study contributes to policy discussions by offering a comparative account of campus-based prevention and response practices and by recommending stronger governance, clearer accountability, survivor-centred procedures, and integrated monitoring systems to ensure safer university environments.