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Risk Factors for Campus Gender-Based Violence, Housing and Wellbeing

Gender-based violence in higher education institutions emerges from structural, infrastructural, and institutional vulnerabilities that converge around precarious student housing and inadequate campus safety measures. Systemic failures in case management, environmental design, and compliance-driven governance significantly erode student physical safety and psychological wellbeing. Establishing comprehensive whole-of-institution accountability frameworks and safe residential infrastructure is vital for mitigating campus risk factors and safeguarding university communities.

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Dissertation (NQF 9)

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Risk Factors for Campus Gender-Based Violence, Housing and Wellbeing

Author:

Group

First M. Last

Advisor:

Dr. First Last

City, 2026

Contents

Declaration
Abstract
Introduction
2. Theoretical Framework of Campus Violence, Living Spaces, and Student Health
2.1. Intersectional Approaches to Campus Vulnerability and Gendered Power Relations
2.2. Environmental Criminology and Safe Spatial Design in Student Residential Facilities
3. Methodological Framework for Higher Education Safety Policy Review
3.1. Selection Criteria and Qualitative Synthesis of Institutional Safety Codes
3.2. Evaluative Governance and Data System Fragmentation Metrics
4. Analysis of Risk Environments: Student Housing Conditions and Campus Crime
4.1. Physical Infrastructure Deficits and Residential Vulnerability in South African Universities
4.2. Institutional Response Deficits, Case Management, and Student Wellbeing Impacts
5. Critical Synthesis and Institutional Reform Strategies
5.1. Transitioning from Regulatory Compliance to Accountability in Institutional Evaluation
5.2. Integrated Whole-of-Institution Frameworks for Student Support and Safe Housing
Reference List
6. Conclusion and Policy Recommendations
Bibliography

Introduction

Campus health and safety constitute fundamental prerequisites for functional higher education systems, where recurring incidents increasingly illuminate severe vulnerabilities surrounding student security [3]. Within university ecosystems, gender-based violence operates not as an isolated behavioral transgression, but as a systemic crisis intrinsically connected to infrastructural deficits, inadequate residential environments, and institutional governance failures [1]. The convergence of precarious student housing conditions and structural safety shortfalls substantially amplifies psychological distress, degrading the overall wellbeing and academic persistence of vulnerable student populations.

Institutional containment of these vulnerabilities remains severely challenged by fragmented support systems and an over-reliance on superficial compliance frameworks [5]. In many tertiary environments, structural risks in campus housing—such as unmonitored perimeters, deficient lighting, and overcrowded off-campus accommodations—directly heighten exposure to violence and crime [3]. Furthermore, university reporting structures often lack dedicated case management and robust victim-survivor-centred mechanisms, compounding trauma and leaving risk environments unaddressed across diverse demographic groups [4], [7].

To resolve these institutional barriers, academic evaluation must systematically scrutinize the intersectional dynamics linking residential arrangements, safety infrastructure, and personal safety [3], [7]. This study investigates the risk factors underpinning gender-based violence in higher education institutions, evaluating how substandard housing conditions exacerbate student vulnerability and diminish holistic wellbeing. Drawing upon comparative policy analyses, legislative standards, and established institutional review frameworks, the paper provides a conceptual synthesis aimed at transforming compliance-driven reporting into enduring, accountable safety practices [5].

5. Critical Synthesis and Institutional Reform Strategies

The critical synthesis of campus safety literature reveals that gender-based violence cannot be treated as an isolated behavioural anomaly; rather, it represents a structural crisis deeply intertwined with physical living environments and fragmented governance. As established in recent evaluations of institutional vulnerabilities, recurring safety crises in South African tertiary institutions underscore severe risks surrounding student housing conditions, infrastructure deficits, and campus crime (Health and Safety Challenges in South African Universities 2025). These residential vulnerabilities demonstrate that unsafe spatial arrangements and housing insecurity actively heighten student exposure to harm, undermining personal wellbeing. However, addressing these physical risks requires rigorous institutional oversight. Current governance models frequently suffer from dispersed evaluation requirements, fragmented data systems, and narrow outcome metrics that induce compliance drift rather than sustained safety (From Compliance to Accountability 2026). When universities treat risk mitigation merely as an administrative reporting exercise, institutional interventions fail to dismantle the systemic conditions enabling violence in student residences (From Compliance to Accountability 2026). Although existing frameworks provide valuable insights into regulatory requirements and infrastructural hazards, a notable research gap remains concerning how integrated whole-of-institution frameworks can effectively synthesize real-time housing safety metrics with victim-survivor-centred support mechanisms. A key limitation of this discussion stems from the reliance on qualitative institutional documentation and safety reviews, which may under-represent informal, off-campus accommodation spaces where vulnerable students reside. Consequently, future research must examine decentralized housing models and develop empirical evaluative tools to bridge institutional governance with safe, supportive student living environments.

References

  1. The role of regulation in addressing gender-based violence in Higher Education
    Amy Norton, Graham J. Towl
    DOI Link
  2. Editorial: Special Issue Addressing Gender-based Violence in Higher Education
    Laura Burge, Friederike Gadow, Elli Darwinkel
    DOI Link
  3. Health and Safety Challenges in South African Universities: A Qualitative Review of Campus Risks and Institutional Responses.
    Maasago Mercy Sepadi, Martha Chadyiwa
    DOI Link
  4. Case management as a dedicated role responding to gender-based violence in Higher Education
    Kelly Prince, Peta Franklin-Corben
  5. From Compliance to Accountability: Strengthening Gender-based Violence Evaluation Under the National Higher Education Code
    Rachel Bertram, Catharine Pruscino
  6. Sexual violence in Higher Education
    Samuel T. Hales
  7. Intersectional approaches to gender-based violence in universities
    Geetanjali Gangoli, Cassandra Jones
  8. How to involve students in work on gender-based violence
    Sunday Blake, Jim Dickinson

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