From Silence to Discourse: Charting the Narrative Evolution of Sexual Violence in Indonesian Academic Literature

Sexual violence in Indonesian higher education institutions is a complex social phenomenon embedded within power relations, representation, and institutional policies. Academic discourse on this critical issue has evolved significantly, gaining urgent momentum following the enactment of Ministry of Education Regulation No. 30 of 2021. This study aims to delineate the evolution of academic narratives concerning sexual violence in higher education and assess the positioning of universities as a unique domain within contemporary literature through a systematic literature review (SLR). Adhering to the PRISMA protocol, the research analyzed 55 selected documents from a pool of 112 Scopus-indexed records available up to May 16, 2025. The search used the keyword “sexual violence in Indonesia” across articles, book chapters, and conference papers in the social sciences, written in both Indonesian and English. A visual exploration of keyword distribution and thematic interconnections was conducted using VOSviewer. The findings identify three phases: (1) 1998–2014, sexual violence was situated within ethnic, state, and family violence; (2) 2015–2020, the discourse emphasized trauma, impunity, stigma, and victim recognition; and (3) 2021–2025, narratives evolved into the repositioning of sexual violence within legal, ethical, religious, and educational frameworks, particularly higher education institutions. In contemporary literature, universities are thus positioned as a distinct arena reflecting the discursive shift from normative-moral approaches toward recognition of structural, cultural, and relational complexities, ultimately understood as spaces of policy negotiation, power relations, and epistemic transformation in addressing sexual violence.