Trauma nation: Exposure to traumatic events among South African university students

Abstract

The current study investigated exposure to past trauma among South African students at a historically disadvantaged institution (HDI). The student population at HDI's are typically from low-income communities that were marginalized by apartheid-era policies and few studies have focused on trauma exposure among this population group. Respondents (N=914) completed the Life Events Checklist and a demographic questionnaire. Logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify gender differences in exposure. 97.6% of the sample reported trauma exposure. The most frequently experienced traumatic events were physical assault (69.3%) and transportation accidents (64.7%). While men were almost twice as likely to report exposure to physical assault (77.2% vs. 67%; β=.53; odds ratio [OR]=1.70; p<.01) and assault with a weapon (59.7% vs. 44.3%; β=.62; OR=1.86; p<.01), women were twice as likely to report unwanted or uncomfortable sexual experiences (32.3% vs. 19.4%; β=−.69; OR=0.50; p<.01) and sexual assault (19.3% vs. 13.1%; β=−.69; OR=0.50; p<.01). It is recommended that psycho-education on trauma be included in orientation programmes and mental health screening and early referrals for psychological services be implemented.