<![CDATA[Background: Sexual violence in higher education is a global issue that negatively affects students' mental health and academic performance. Objective: This study aimed to map the prevalence and characteristics of sexual violence among university students in Bengkulu City. Method: A cross-sectional design was used, with data collected through an online survey of 525 students recruited by purposive sampling. Descriptive analysis and chi-square tests were performed. Results: The prevalence of sexual violence was 28.4%. The most frequently reported experiences were sexually suggestive stares (9.3%) and sexually explicit online messages (7.6%). Most incidents occurred off-campus (73.15%), and most perpetrators were not affiliated with the campus (69.80%). Only 4.7% of victims reported the incidents to campus authorities. Gender was significantly associated with the type of sexual violence experienced (p = 0.0008), while age was not (p = 0.5289). Conclusion: Strengthening campus protection policies and safe, transparent, victim-centered reporting mechanisms is necessary to prevent and respond to sexual violence among university students. Keywords: Sexual violence; Prevalence; Characteristics; University students; Bengkulu City ]]>
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