Full Project – THE EFFECTS OF SEXUAL HARASSMENT AND ITS IMPLICATION ON STUDENT IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS

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CHAPTER ONE

Introduction

Background to the Study

Sexual harassment is a severe public health concern that greatly hampers growth and education of the girl-child, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa includes Nigeria where the practice is rampant (National Population Commission, 2009). (National Population Commission, 2009). Perhaps the most vulnerable subgroups in African societies today are the girl-children and women, largely because they are victims of practices which are embedded in traditional institutions (patriarchy and female genital mutilation-FGM) and of the negative consequences (overcrowding and child labour) inherent in urbanization and industrialization (NPC, 2009). (NPC, 2009). In consonance with the above assertion by NPC (2009), Adeyinka (2010) opined that the special circumstances in which girl-children find themselves expose them to possible risk of physical, psychological, and sexual harassment, which in turn increases their vulnerability to early pregnancy, sexually transmitted infections and HIV & AIDS (Adeyinka, 2010). (Adeyinka, 2010). This awful condition when allowed to flourish in secondary schools (Ohafia LGA Secondary schools inclusive) may have disastrous results on the girl-child’s education and further place completion of educational goals listed in the post-primary education curriculum in peril.

Nigerian educational institution (secondary school inclusive) is established with the aim of giving any student who enrolls, a very sound and qualitative education, to be able to function effectively in any environment in which he/she may find him/herself; so as to become more productive, self-fulfilling and attain self-actualization (Federal Government of Nigeria, 1981). Perpetration of some social vices such as sexual harassment in schools including secondary schools by any group (teachers or students inclusive) undermines the attainment of this vital goal.

Hornby (2005) defined harassment as putting pressure on someone, or doing unpleasant things to him or her. New Zealand Hockey Federation-NZHF (2001) conceptualized harassment as any unwelcome comment, conduct or gesture directed towards an individual or group of individuals, which is insulting, intimidating, humiliating, malicious, degrading or offensive, and is either repeated or of such significant nature, that adversely affect someone’s performance, contribution or sport and educational environment. Harassment as used in the present study refers to any unwanted or unwelcome behaviour directed to a female student which is insulting, intimidating, malicious, degrading or offensive and is either repeated or of such significant nature that adversely impairs the adolescent girl’s capacity to learn at school.

New Zealand Hockey Federation (2001) further observed that harassment can take many forms namely; physical, verbal, sexual, or emotional and most often involves a combination of these elements. This study, however, will concentrate on sexual harassment. The rationale for this restriction is justified by NPC’s (2009) assertion that sexual harassment is a major pubic health crisis that significantly hinders development and education of the girl-child in Nigeria where the practice is high.

Robinson (2005) conceptualized sexual harassment as any physical, visual, or sexual act experienced by a person from another person at the time or later, which asserts a person’s sexual identity as a person and makes him or her feel embarrassed, frightened, hurt, uncomfortable, degraded, humiliated, compromised and as well diminishes a person’s power and confidence. American Association of University Women–AAUW (2006) summarized that sexual harassment in education is an unwelcome behaviour of a sexual nature that interferes with a student’s ability to learn, study, work or participate in school activities. Brackenridge and Fasting (2006) posited that sexual harassment is a violation of human rights. In this study, sexual harassment refers to a persistent unwelcome sexual behaviour or advance which is directed at the adolescent girl that may potentially hamper or compromise her capacities to learn, study, work or actively participate in academic activities.

Fitzgerald, Gelfand and Drasgow’s (1995) categorization of sexual harassment is composed of three related but conceptually distinct dimensions, which are gender harassments, unwanted sexual attention; and sexual coercion. Timmerman and Bajema (1997) categorized sexual harassment into verbal harassment, non-verbal harassment, and physical harassment. Also, Witkowska (2005) identified verbal behaviour, non-verbal displays and sexual assault behaviours as the categories of sexual harassment. For the purpose of this study, the empirically tested and confirmed categories of sexual harassment namely; gender harassment, unwanted sexual attention and sexual coercion by Gelfand, Fitzgerald and Drasgow (1995) will be adopted.

Gender harassment involves unwelcome verbal or visual comments and remarks that insult individuals because of their gender and can include such things as posting pornographic pictures in public places, telling jokes and making gender-related degrading remarks while unwanted sexual attention refers to uninvited behaviours that explicitly communicate sexual desires or intentions toward another person such as staring at someone’s breasts or making comments that insinuate sexual activities (Ajuwon, Akin-Jimoh & Olley, 2001; Jejeebhoy & Bott, 2003).

Sexual coercion among youth encompasses a range of experiences, ranging from non-contact forms such as verbal sexual abuse and forced viewing of pornography, as well as unwanted contact in the form of touching, fondling, attempted rape, forced penetrative sex (vaginal, oral, or anal), trafficking, and forced prostitution. It also includes sex obtained as a result of physical force, intimidation, pressure, blackmail, deception, forced alcohol and drug use, and threats of abandonment or of withholding economic support. Transactional sex through money, gifts, or other economic incentives (especially in the context of extreme poverty) often has a coercive aspect as well (Ajuwon, Akin-Jimoh & Olley, 2001; Jejeebhoy & Bott, 2003).

Statement of the Problem

School environment should be conducive, safe and devoid of any phenomenon that has the potential to truncate the teaching-learning process. Teachers and students are indispensable entities in any school setting and the relationship that exists between the two entities should be wholesome in order to accomplish set educational objectives as stipulated in the national policy on education.

The prevalence of sexual harassment of adolescent girls in Nigerian secondary schools has received little or no attention and received cold reactions from government and school authorities alike. Government and school authorities were found to be silent about the issues pertaining to sexuality and sexual harassment. The consequences of sexual harassment such as eating disorders, poor self-esteem, anxiety disorders, general psychological distress and disorders such as somatization, neurosis, chronic pain, sexual behaviour, school or learning problems and behaviour problems including substance abuse, self destructive behaviour, crime in adulthood and suicide have profound potentials to thwart actualization of secondary school girls’ ambitions. Thus, jeopardizing their future lives. As a result of this neglect from government and school officials, many adolescent girls have quit schooling and many may not return to school due in part to fear of being harassed or violated.

Purpose of the Study

The purpose of the study is to investigate the effects of sexual Harassment and its implication on student  in secondary schools. Specifically, this study attempts to find out the:

1. prevalence of sexual harassment among girls’ by male teachers and students;
2. correlates of sexual harassment among girls’ by male teachers and students;
3. prevalence of sexual harassment of girls’ by male teachers and students according to age;

Research Questions

The following research questions have been posed to guide the study.

1. What is the prevalence of sexual harassment of girls by male teachers and students of secondary schools?
2. What are the correlates of sexual harassment of girls by male teachers and students of secondary schools?
3. What is the prevalence of sexual harassment of girls by male teachers and students of secondary schools according to age?

Hypotheses

1. There is no significant difference in the prevalence of sexual harassment of girls by male teachers according to age.
2. There is no significant difference in the prevalence of sexual harassment of girls by male students according to age.
3. There is no significant difference in the prevalence of sexual harassment of girls by male teachers according to class.

Significance of the Study

The expected findings of the present study will be beneficial to Health Educators, Counsellors, Health administrators, adolescent girls, guardians, teachers, scientific and medical staff, school authorities, non-governmental health organizations, Ministry of Health and parents in many ways.

The anticipated findings on proportion of adolescent girls that has experienced sexual harassment by male teachers and students will be useful to the school authorities, health management boards, reproductive health unites and society at large. The authority will have detailed information on the prevalence and categories of sexual harassment experienced by girls. This will help them to plan on how to control and prevent them. It will also help them to formulate policies and intervention programmes against it.

The findings will reveal the correlates of sexual harassment of girls by male teachers and students. This finding will be useful to parents, school authorities, guardians and counselors. It will help researchers and non-governmental organizations to design programmes against sexual harassment of girls in their respective schools.

The findings will reveal the prevalence of sexual harassment of girls by male teachers and students according to age. The result will be useful to health educators, counselors and school authorities to identify the vulnerable age group and intensify sensitizing campaign and health talks for the group so as be assertive to discourage sexual harassment.

The finding will reveal the relationship between age of girls and sexual harassment by male teachers and students. It will be useful to school authorities and guidance counselors in schools. It will guide the school authorities and guidance counselors to protect the girls by educating them through moral instructions on behaviours that can constitute sexual harassment and how to avoid potential harassers including teachers and students.

Scope of the Study

The study was delimited to secondary school girls in Ohafia LGA of Abia State. The study was restricted to in–school adolescent girls in secondary schools in the area, because they have been identified in literature (Oppong, 1995; Mama, 1996; & NPC, 2009) as the most vulnerable groups in the Nigerian educational institutions. The socio-demographic factors of age, class, parent education level and school location as they relate to sexual harassment were investigated. It was also delimited to all the government-owned co-educational secondary schools in Ohafia LGA with the exemption of the exclusively Girls’ and Boys’ Secondary Schools, mission and private secondary schools. The restriction of the scope to co-educational secondary schools could be attributed to Mama’s (1996) and AAUW’s (2006) assertions that sexual harassment prevalence is more unprecedented in mixed schools.

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