Confirmatory Factor Analysis: Students' Perceptions of the Potential for Sexual Harassment in Indonesian Higher Education Institutions

Nur Afiah (Bimbingan Konseling Islam IAIN Parepare/Doctor of Philosophy in Social Science, Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia, Malaysia)
Nurhamdah Nurhamdah (Department of English language education, IAIN Parepare, Indonesia)
Rezki Perdani Sawai (Department of Leadership and Management, Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia, Malaysia)
Ros Aiza Mohd Mokhtar (Department of Pusat Pengajian Teras, Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia, Malaysia)

JIVA: Journal of Behaviour and Mental Health
Vol 7, No 1 (2026)

Sexual harassment in higher education institutions is an issue that has a serious impact on student safety and well-being. This study aims to validate a model of student perceptions of the potential for sexual harassment through three main dimensions: cognitive, affective, and conative. A total of 191 students from 13 higher education institutions in Indonesia participated in this study. CFA analysis showed that all indicators had adequate factor loadings (> 0.40), and the measurement model achieved good goodness of fit (CFI = 0.994; TLI = 0.993; RMSEA = 0.064). The Composite Reliability (CR) and Average Variance Extracted (AVE) values met the reliability standards. The results show that students' understanding of forms of sexual harassment emotional sensitivity, and readiness to act together shape their perceptions of potential risks. Students were able to recognize non-physical forms of sexual harassment show empathy towards victims, and had a tendency to engage in prevention efforts. This validated model provides a theoretical and practical basis for the development of more integrative prevention strategies, including consent education, empathy strengthening, and bystander intervention training. This model can be used in further research and support campus policies that are more responsive to issues of sexual harassment.