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Abstract

Sexual abuse has far-reaching problems, such as the development of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other long-term battles, such as depression and suicidal ideation. Over the years, mindfulness-based therapies have demonstrated their effectiveness in addressing a wide range of psychological and physical challenges of sexual abuse. This study investigated how the victims (tertiary school students) of sexual abuse navigate thoughts and emotionally regulate themselves through mindfulness. This study employed a survey research design and was underpinned by the Self-Awareness, Self-Regulation, and Self-Transcendence (S-ART) framework. The study's population consisted of 259 undergraduates enrolled in degree programmes at the Federal University Oye-Ekiti in Nigeria. The data were collected using a Google Form-hosted tool tagged the "Sexually Abused Victims' Practices of Mindfulness Questionnaire (SAVPM). The study's data was analysed using descriptive statistics and the Pearson Product-Moment Correlation at a 5% significance level through SPSS V29 software. Findings indicate a significant positive correlation (r = .141, p = .023) between the experiences of sexual abuse victims and mindfulness practices. The study concludes that sexually abused students engage in mindfulness practices such as self-awareness therapy to overcome their trauma. The study recommends incorporating more mindfulness practices to promote awareness in Nigerian universities.