Work

Sexual misconduct among high school students in Vietnam

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Background: Sexual misconduct is a global problem. Adolescents 15-19 years face the highest risk of sexual misconduct, however, studies on school-based sexual misconduct in low and middle-income countries (LMICs) are limited. We aimed to determine the prevalence of sexual misconduct, including sexual harassment, stalking, dating violence, and sexual violence experiences among students at three high schools in Vietnam since their enrollment. Methods: Between February and May 2023, 754 students in three high schools in Ho Chi Minh City completed the adapted Administrator-Researcher Campus Climate Collaborative online. Results: Overall, 54.5% of students reported any sexual misconduct since enrolling in high school. The prevalence of sexual harassment victimization was 40.2% perpetrated by staff and 30.2% perpetrated by students. Stalking prevalence was 18.3%, and 13.1% of students reported experiencing dating violence. Nearly 1 in 10 (8.7%) of students reported sexual violence victimization. Sexual coercion prevalence was highest in the middle-ranked school (6.2%) and lowest in the high-ranked school (1.6%) (p=0.028). Compared to girls, boys reported a higher prevalence of unwanted sexual attention (18.7% vs. 10.9%) and sexual coercion (10.1% vs 4.6%) by staff (p=0.001). Girls reported a higher prevalence of dating violence victimization than boys (14.9% vs. 9.9%, p=0.029). Conclusion: Sexual misconduct prevalence among high school students in Ho Chi Minh City is high with notable gender differences in victimization. Awareness raising among parents, school administrators, and youth is needed to develop contextually appropriate preventive and response programs to address sexual misconduct in high schools across Vietnam. Highlights: We assessed sexual misconduct among students in three high schools in South VietnamWe assessed experiences of sexual harassment, stalking, dating violence, and sexual violenceBoys experienced higher sexual harassment victimization by faculty/staff than girlsGirls experienced a higher prevalence of dating violence victimization than boysFindings inform future research and prevention efforts for high schools in South Vietnam.

Source: Child Protection and Practice

DOI: 10.1016/j.chipro.2025.100150

Authors: Kim Tu Tran, Ruschelle M. Leone, Kevin M. Swartout, Minh Hung Tran, Oanh Trinh, Kathryn M. Yount

Institutions: University of Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh City, Georgia State University, Center for Creative Initiatives in Health and Population, Emory University

Language: English

Topic: Sexual Assault and Victimization Studies

Subfield: Gender Studies

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDGs: Good health and well-being, Peace, justice, and strong institutions, Gender equality, Quality education

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,200