Efectos Psicosociales del Acoso Sexual en Estudiantes de Instituciones de Educación Superior de Quito, Ecuador

Sexual harassment is a phenomenon of greater frequency in higher education, with a high prevalence among students. However, not much is known about the effects that this phenomenon has on the mental health, academic and professional life projects or personal relationships of those who have been harassed. The aim of this study is to identify predictor variables of the psychosocial effects of sexual harassment in university students. The Sexual Harassment in Higher Education Institutions Survey (ASIES) was applied to 6878 university students in Quito, of whom 2945 reported sexual harassment. For the present analysis, an indicator of psychosocial effects that considered the effects on health and the repercussions on personal academic life was constructed. Results show significantly higher averages for these indicators in students who reported sexual harassment. Logistic regression analysis identified gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, self-identified social class, study conditions and semester of college as the main predictors of the psychosocial effects of sexual harassment. These findings show key indicators to be considered in prevention strategies and attention to sexual harassment in universities.