Gender Differences in Sexual Abuse and Violence among University Students: Results from the First Online Sexuality Survey in Lebanon and the Arab Region

Youth in the Arab region are prone to violations of their bodily autonomy as manifested by reports of gender-based sexual discrimination and violence. In 2012, an anonymous online survey examined nonconsensual sexual practices and sexual abuse among university students (aged 18-30) attending the 4^th largest private university in Beirut. Of 1857 respondents, 264 (14%) admitted to ever being sexually abused ( “someone did something sexual they did not want them to do, or touched them in a way that they did not want to be touched”). Sexual abuse was 3 times higher in females (p-value<0.001); latter were also 10 times more likely to feel very worried about experiencing sexual violence such as rape, sexual assault, and sexual harassment (p-value<0.001). Females were at higher odds of engaging in sexual activities they did not really want to do [OR=1.75; 95% CI: 1.38-2.21] and reporting ‘unwillingness’ to engage in first sexual intercourse [OR=1.66; 95% CI: 1.11-2.47]. Sexually abused students were 3 times more likely to experience an unplanned/unwanted pregnancy (p-value=0.001), terminated in 93% of the cases. The majority of students (61%) could not talk about sex with their mother/female guardian and 80% felt similarly about their father/male guardian. Although not representative of the youth population in Lebanon, these findings alone are sufficient to call for immediate gender sensitive interventions addressing sexual abuse and violence, while promoting open parental communication, bodily autonomy and self-determination.