Predicting College Students’ Intention to Reject Sexual Violence: The Role of Self-Esteem and Religiosity
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.46963/mash.v9i01.3484Keywords:
Self-esteem, Religiosity, Sexual violence, Intention to reject, College studentsAbstract
Sexual violence in higher education threatens students’ psychological well-being, academic engagement, and sense of safety. In this study, sexual violence encompasses harassment, coercion, and assault occurring within higher education settings. In Indonesia, the increasing number of reported cases and the persistence of underreporting highlight the urgency of identifying internal factors that shape students’ intention to reject such behavior. Grounded in the Theory of Planned Behavior, this study examined the simultaneous and partial effects of self-esteem and religiosity on students’ intention to reject sexual violence. Using a quantitative approach with multiple linear regression, data were collected from 209 active undergraduate students at IAIN Parepare through validated four-point Likert-scale instruments. The findings indicated that self-esteem and religiosity simultaneously had a significant effect on intention (Adjusted R² = 0.703, p < .001). However, partial analysis revealed that only religiosity had a significant and dominant positive effect (β = 0.829, p < .001), while self-esteem did not show a statistically significant contribution (p = .124). These results suggest that moral and spiritual value internalization plays a more decisive role than positive self-evaluation in shaping students’ commitment to rejecting sexual violence. The study underscores the importance of integrating inclusive religious education with institutional prevention policies to foster a safer campus environment.
Downloads
References
Akbari, M., Kaveh, M. H., & Cousins, R. (2024). Women’s experiences of sexual harassment in the retail clothing industry: A grounded theory study. Frontiers in Psychology, 15, 1–12. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1374188
Almegewly, W. H., Saleh, H. A., Alasmari, A., Alnashery, A., & Alanazi, A. (2025a). Prevalence and experiences of sexual harassment among Saudi female nursing students: A cross-sectional study. Advance online publication.
Almegewly, W. H., Saleh, H. A., Alasmari, A., Alnashery, A., & Alanazi, A. (2025b). Prevalence and experiences of sexual harassment among Saudi female nursing students: A cross-sectional study. BMC Nursing, 24, 2–11. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-025-03811-5
Prabasari, A., & Suprihatin, T. (2012). The relationship between self-esteem and conformity with premarital sexual behavior of college students in Tegal. PSISULA: Periodical Proceedings of Psychology, 1(1), 105–113.
Bhuptani, P. H., Kenney, S. R., Napper, L. E., & Orchowski, L. M. (2025). Pornography use, perceived peer norms, and attitudes toward women: A study of college men. Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment & Trauma, 19(3), 1–20. https://doi.org/10.1080/15546128.2023.2233414
Fin-Almerino, J. T., Tan-Licayan, E. D., Ramas-Rocamora, C. A., Plaza-Trangia, M., Fin-Almerino, J. G., & Manilag-Almerino, P. (2025). Social dominance orientation, moral disengagement, and masculinity as predictors of street harassment prevalence. Psychological Thought, 18, 601–630. https://doi.org/10.37708/psyct.v18i2.1174
Ikhsan, M. A., & Anam, F. K. (2024). Sexual violence mitigation strategies for Islamic students: A study of the implementation of religious literacy at Darul Faqih Islamic boarding school. Gramaswara Journal, 4(3), 251–261. https://doi.org/10.21776/ub.gramaswara.2024.004.03.05
Kankaraš, M., & Capecchi, S. (2025). Neither agree nor disagree: Use and misuse of the neutral response category in Likert-type scales. METRON, 83(1), 111–140. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40300-024-00276-5
Ogunfowokan, A. A., Samson-Akpan, P. E., Arije, O., & Olatubi, M. I. (2024). Characteristics of higher education students who reported sexual violence: A Nigerian national study. BMC Public Health, 24, 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-024-20047-1
Okunlola, O. B., Odukoya, J. A., & Gesinde, A. M. (2021). Outcomes of sexual abuse on self-esteem among adolescents: A systematic review. Cogent Social Sciences, 7(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/23311886.2020.1856296
Qinthara, S. A. (2023). The influence of self-esteem on emotional violence in dating relationships among young adults in Bandung City. Insight Psychology Journal, 5(2), 137–147. https://doi.org/10.17509/insight.v5i2.62775
Rakhmawati, D. (2021). Religiosity as a protective factor for premarital sexual behavior among college students. Satya Widya, 36(1), 56–63. https://doi.org/10.24246/j.sw.2020.v36.i1.p56-63
Rana, M. Q., Lee, A., Fernando, J., & Bezerra, R. (2025). Evaluating the agreement index of the barriers faced by women during the transition from higher education to empowerment in Brazil: A sustainable development perspective. Administrative Sciences, 15, 1–22. https://doi.org/10.3390/admsci15030082
Rhafidilla, R., & Yasmin, S. S. F. (2024). Student perceptions regarding the importance of safe spaces from sexual violence on campus. Journal of Media and Communication, 5(1), 62–74. https://doi.org/10.20473/medkom.v5i1.57064
Sakellariou, C. (2025). The protective effect of high religiosity on later sexual behavior of young adults in the US. Scientific Reports, 15, 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-17097-9
Samuel, O., Nwakaego, E., & Ogechi, N. (2023). Sexual harassment myths and victims’ blame game among students of institutions of higher learning: Implications for gender-based sexual violence and community sustainable development in Southeast Nigeria. Journal of International Students, 14(1), 189–210.
Sasania, J., Montasem, A., Gjuladin-Hellon, T., Awan, H., Aine, B., Whyte, J., & Alqadah, N. (2023). Racism, discrimination, and harassment in medical schools in the UK: A scoping review. Advance online publication.
Ugwu, S., Nnamchi, O., Okafor, S., & Ogechi, I. (2025). Gender differences in the acceptance of sexual harassment myths in Southeast Nigeria: Historical trends and current issues in social policy and sexual/gender-based violence. 11(1), 20–29.
Viskarini, P. A., & Suharsono, Y. (2023). The influence of social support on the self-esteem of female adolescent victims of sexual harassment. Cognicia, 11(1), 47–53. https://doi.org/10.22219/cognicia.v11i1.25003
Wardhani, F., & Indrawati, E. S. (2021). The relationship between self-esteem and intention of dating violence in mechanical engineering students at Muhammadiyah University of Surakarta. EMPATI, 9(6), 490–494. https://doi.org/10.14710/empati.2020.30069
Zhang, Q., Chen, X., Cao, H., Fang, J., Zhang, Z., & Jia, W. (2025). Psychometric properties of the Chinese version of the nurses sexual harassment scale: A cross-sectional study. BMC Nursing, 24, 2–8. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-025-03968-z
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Nurfadilah Nurfadilah, Nur Afiah
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
1. Copyright on any article is retained by the author(s).
2. The author grants the journal, right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution shareAlike 4.0 International License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgment of the work’s authorship and initial publication in this journal.
3. Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal’s published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgment of its initial publication in this journal.
4. Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work.
5. The article and any associated published material is distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License
2.png)
