THE STUDY OF SEXUAL HARASSMENT AMONG FEMALE STUDENTS IN COLLEGE OF EDUCATION

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THE STUDY OF SEXUAL HARASSMENT AMONG FEMALE STUDENTS IN COLLEGE OF EDUCATION

Abstract

The study investigated prevalence and correlates of sexual harassment by male teachers and students among female students in college of education in Ohafia Local Government Area, Abia state. Ten specific objectives with corresponding research questions and eight hypotheses guided the study. The descriptive survey research design was used for the study. The multi-stage sampling procedure was used to draw a sample of 600 out of 2,400 girls who enrolled in college of education during 2011/2012 academic session. Two instruments were used for data collection: A researcher modified instrument titled Questionnaire on Prevalence and Correlates of Sexual Harassment of Girls (QPCSHG) and Sexual Harassment of Girls Focus Group Discussion Guide (SHGFGDG). Split – half method was used to determine the reliability of the entire instrument (QPCSHG) using Spearman – Brown correction formula statistic. Also, Cronbach Alpha statistic and Kuder – Richardson – 20 formula were used to establish the inter – item reliability co – efficient of the subscales which had norminal and interval data. The reliability co-efficients obtained for the subscales were .70 and .77 respectively. The data collected were analyzed using frequencies and percentages, means and Pearson product moment correlation (r) co-efficient statistic. The hypotheses were tested using chi – square (χ2) statistic at .05 level of significance. The results revealed that girls’ age, class, parent educational levels and school location had no significant influence on the prevalence of sexual harassment of girls by male teachers and students. The findings of the study revealed that high demands from school, poor academic performance and poor family background were the correlates of sexual harassment of girls by male teachers and students. The result further showed that there was a very low relationship between girls’ age, class, parent educational level and school location in the sexual harassment of girls by male teachers and students. Based on the findings, the researcher recommended among others that the school authority should establish an office for reporting cases of sexual harassment where confidentiality should be entrenched to encourage victims to lodge complaints and also, there is need to educate girls about sexuality, human rights and necessary action to take when harassed sexually.

 

 

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CHAPTER ONE

Introduction

Background to the Study

One of the fundamental human rights, according to the United Nations Education Scientific and Cultural Organization-UNESCO (1978) is the right to protection from harmful influences, abuse and exploitation. United Nations Children Emergency Fund-UNICEF (1989) reiterated that its mission is to advocate for the protection of children’s rights, especially children under the age of 18 years, to help meet their basic needs and to expand their opportunities to reach their full potentials. These rights among others include the right to protect children from sexual harassment and abuse, and right to be educated.

Sexual harassment is a major pubic health crisis that significantly hinders development and education of the girl-child, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa including Nigeria where the practice is high (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).

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). This horrendous situation when allowed to foster in college of education (Ohafia In college of educations inclusive) may impinge devastating consequences on the girl-child’s education and further place attainment of educational goals specified in the post-primary education curriculum in jeopardy.

Nigerian educational institution (college of education 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 College of Education 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)

THE STUDY OF SEXUAL HARASSMENT AMONG FEMALE STUDENTS IN COLLEGE OF EDUCATION 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 public health crisis that significantly hinders development and education of the girlchild 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 behavior 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 behavior 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, Witkowski (2005) identified verbal behavior, 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.

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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 noncontact 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).

Questions have been asked as to which behaviour constitutes sexual harassment and who decides whether behaviour constitutes sexual harassment or not. In an attempt to answer these questions, Connecticut Women’s Education and Legal Fund–CWEALF (2000) stated that sexual harassment is subjective. Explaining further, the report emphasized that it is the person who receives the offensive behaviour that decides if it is harassment or not. It can be deduced from the above statement that the harasser may not see his or her behavior as sexual harassment while the harassee may see such behaviour as sexual harassment. The harasser may be completely unaware that his or her behaviour is offensive or constitutes sexual harassment or may be completely unaware that his or her actions could be unlawful. This implies that anyone can be the harasser or victim of sexual harassment. This calls for the establishment of existence of sexual harassment in college of education especially in Ohafia LGA of Abia State.

Establishing existence or perpetration of sexual harassment by the harasser (male teachers and students) among secondary school girls (harassees) in Ohafia Local Government Area of Abia State, significantly depends on considerable number of occurrence or prevalence of sexual harassment among adolescent girls in their respective secondary

schools.

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Collins (2002) defined prevalence as the ratio (for a given time of period) of the number of occurrences of a disease or event to the number of units at risk in the population. Houghton (2009) viewed prevalence as total number of cases of disease in a given population at a specific time. In this study, prevalence is defined as the total number of occurrences of sexual harassment among secondary school girls at a specific time period. The time could be weekly, monthly or in the past one year (12 months).

On behaviours that constitute sexual harassment based on age, findings of studies conducted Dahinten (1999), Grover and Mangle (2003) showed that younger subjects are less likely to label their experience as sexual harassment. Likewise young girls are less likely to label their experiences as sexual harassment than older girls. Adverse effects of sexual harassment are not restricted to the victim(s) alone but also to close relations.  Fasting (2005) reported that sexual harassment can affect more than the targeted person. In her explanations, she noted that a team member, who witnessed repeated incidence, even if it is not directed at him or her, may be considered a victim of sexual harassment as well. Supporting the above assertion, Wikipedia Foundation (2006) pointed out that the victim does not have to be the person directly harassed but can be anyone who finds the behaviour offensive and is affected

by it.

Mama (1996) noted that the phenomenon of sexual harassment is complex, not always unidirectional, played down by all concerned, unreported and considered a serious moral and social problem in Nigerian university campuses and other institutions of learning in Nigeria including College of Education in Ohafia LGA of Abia State where the present study was conducted. Oppong (1995) posited that sexual harassment and violations in Nigerian educational institutions including College of Education take six main forms; male lecturers to female students, male students to female students, male lecturers to female non-academic staff, male non-academic staff to female students, male lecturers to female academic staff and male non- academic staff to female non- academic staff.

The male teaching staff is likely to be the main perpetrators but other males–students and non-teaching staff who oversee admission; registration, record–keeping, examination registration and students’ disciplinary committees are all possible perpetrators of sexual harassment in college of education. Although, there exists six forms of sexual harassment in Nigerian educational institutions as identified by Oppong (1995), however, the studies shall be restricted to sexual harassment that is perpetrated by male teachers (male teachers to adolescent girls or students). These male teachers possess certain characteristics, which may affect degree of harassment.

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Studies (Oppong 1995; & Mama, 1996) revealed that certain factors have been implicated in the precipitation and perpetration of sexual harassment among female students and adolescent girls in Nigerian higher institutions and College of Education. These factors (correlates) have constituted a source of immense concern to researchers in fields of child psychology, reproductive health, health education and adolescent health due to their potentials to trigger increased likelihood of sexual harassment in an unprecedented manner.

Collins (2002) viewed correlate as a phenomenon which entails placement of something or somebody in a mutual, complementary, or reciprocal relationship. Houghton (2009) defined correlate as a process of putting something or somebody into casual, complementary, parallel, or reciprocal relation. In the context of the present study, correlate refers to the process of putting the girl–child/adolescent girl into casual, complementary, parallel or reciprocal experiences of sexual harassment. Consequent upon this, it is pertinent to ascertain correlates of sexual harassment by male teachers and students among College of Education girls in Ohafia LGA, Abia State.

Studies (Oppong, 1995; Mama, 1996; University of Minnesota Civil Service, 2005; & Elendum, 2010) indicated that varied and complex factors are attributed to perpetration of sexual harassment in Nigerian institutions of learning regardless of level. Mama (1996) reported that male lecturers exploit vulnerability of female students (cost-benefit analysis) who performed poorly in their examinations and tests, and inability to cope with the demands of courses registered for as factors that put them in vulnerable positions; predisposing them to the risk of sexual harassment. This situation could also extend to College of Education where the present study was conducted.

Oppong (1995) opined those failures in the Nigerian educational system promote sexual harassment in the universities. For example, it was suggested that malpractices that repeatedly accompany the Senior Secondary School Examinations and Joint Admissions Matriculation Examinations expose university applicants (and their parents and guardians) to exploitation in their desperate bid to gain admission into Nigerian universities.  He further noted that female applicants in search of  ‘favours’ sometimes initiate or succumb to sexual relationships with males who have assisted them in various ways.

Elendu (2010) revealed that female athletes’ dressing and attitudes increase their vulnerability to sexual harassment. He also stated that lack of respect for the female gender was reported as a fundamental reason for sexual harassment. Reporting on influence of age, Sripichyakan, Thungpungkum and Supavititpatana (2003) found out that there was significant difference in the experience of sexual harassment of people based on age. They

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further emphasized that regardless of the form of sexual harassment, younger people experience sexual harassment more than older ones.

Deducing inferences from the above studies and reports, some personal and organizational variables are capable of influencing sexual harassment. For instance, such socio-demographic variables as age, gender, level of education, marital status, ethnicity, socio-economic status, and race among others have been identified to influence sexual harassment.

Studies (Cortina, Swan, Fitzgerald, & Waldo, 1998) have indicated that one in every two women experiences some form of sexual harassment during her college years. This finding has led some to label sexual harassment as “the single most widespread educational hazard in academia today” (Rudman, Borgida, & Robertson, 1995). Academic sexual harassment, however, is not a new social problem; it has long threatened women in the context of school, interfering with equal opportunities in higher education (Fitzgerald et al., 1988) and in secondary education as well (Duffy, Wareham, & Walsh, 2004). An adolescent girl’s class/grade is a predictor of her vulnerability to sexual harassment by male teachers or students and other non-academic male employees. AAUW (2006 & 2011) asserted that sexual harassment is more prevalent among female students at the upper strata (middle and high schools) of secondary education (grade 7-12). AAUW (2011) further affirmed that this category of female students experienced a plethora of sexual harassment. Cortina et al. (1998) had earlier alluded that sexual harassment of girls is more prevalent at the upper class and also impinges deleterious effects on their psychological, physical, and academic well-being. Hence, the above gory reports informed the decision to investigate relationship between class of adolescent girls and sexual harassment of girls by male teachers and students in Ohafia In college of educations.

Additionally, histories of sexual abuse and harassment have also figured in the parent educational backgrounds of aggressive females observed in qualitative studies (Baskin & Sommers, 1998). In Baskin and Sommers’ (1998) reports of life history interviews with 170 violent female felons, it was revealed that 36 per cent reported having been sexually abused by a member of their immediate family and 26 per cent by a member of their extended family. The histories recounted in Artz’s (1999) ethnographic study of violent girls in Canada likewise revealed backgrounds that include sexual abuse and harassment at home.

Many adolescent girls have also been sexually harassed, neglected, and exposed to violence at home and in their communities, experiences that have also been linked to criminal behaviour and aggression (Smith & Thornberry, 1995). Other family factors implicated in the

sexual harassment of girls are the family economic status, poverty and proliferation of multiple problems in the family. Mangheni, Ekirikubinza-Tibatemwa and Forsythe (2010) asserted that when resources are constrained, parents in many parts of Sub-Sahara Africa including Nigeria are more likely to invest in education for boys rather than girls. This is because it is perceived that girls will leave their families after marriage, whereas boys are expected to provide for their parents on an ongoing basis. As a consequence, girls are usually neglected to fend for themselves, therefore, become exposed to sexual harassment by males who provide their basic needs. An awkward parental education background can create disabling environment where adolescent girls particularly girls from poor homes are considered objects of sexual harassment by the opposite sex.  From the foregoing, it could be deduced that when examining the relationship between girls’ sexual harassment and parental educational background, peculiar family factors are implicated. Thus, such factors should be identified and correlated with sexual harassment of girls in order to facilitate understanding of the impact of family background on adolescent girls’ sexual harassment.

School location to a large extent is a strong predictor of sexual harassment of girls (AAUW, 1993). Since a school does not exist in a vacuum but in an environment where certain established norms and cultural values shape people’s perception and acceptance of practices (sexual harassment inclusive) that are acceptable or unacceptable. When a school is located in a hostile environment where sexual harassment is permissible, sexual harassment of girls becomes an acceptable norm. Hostile environment breeds diverse forms of sexual harassment such as unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal, nonverbal, or physical conduct of a sexual nature by an employee, another student, or a male teacher. Typically, in school settings and particularly between male teachers, male students and female students, allegations of sexual harassment are more commonplace than allegations of quid pro quo harassment (Cortina et al., 1998). Therefore, the preceding assertion informed the decision to investigate relationship between school location and sexual harassment of girls by male teachers and students in Ohafia In college of educations. This process may provide profound information on school location as a correlate of sexual harassment of girls by male teachers and students.

From the foregoing, it could be deduced that some socio-demographic variables are implicated in perpetration of sexual harassment in schools. This study, however, will be delimited to only socio-demographic variables such as age, class, school location and parent educational level with the view of ascertaining if they correlate with sexual harassment of adolescent girls attending College of Education in Ohafia LGA, Abia State. It is delimited to

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these socio-demographic variables, because literature (Oppong, 1995; Sripichyakan et al., 2003; & Elendu, 2010) implicated them in sexual harassment perpetration among young females (adolescent girls inclusive) and female students of higher institutions.

Kinzl, Traweger, Biebl (1995) established a strong correlation between self-reported childhood sexual abuse, dysfunctional family background and several types of somatizations in a non-clinical sample. The findings confirmed that severe or repeated childhood sexual victimization and a familial deficiency syndrome in childhood may be important in the pathogenesis of somatization. Reese and Lindenberg (2005) in their study of gender, age, and sexual harassment found that both age and gender were significant factors in how employees evaluated sexual harassment policies. The presence of different perspectives on sexual harassment among men and women of different age groups may have significant implications for the implementation of sexual harassment policies. They concluded that there were significant age group differences among male and female employees regarding perceptions of sexual harassment, attitudes about model policy and procedure, and evaluations of workplace policies.

Sexual harassment inflicts numerous consequences on both the adolescent girl as an individual and school as an institution. Nelson (2002) asserted that adolescent girl sexual harassment can result in both short–term and long-term harm, including psychopathology in later life. Psychological, emotional, physical, and social effects include depression post- traumatic stress disorder and anxiety (Arnow, 2004). Freud, Putnam and Lyon (2005) put the consequences of sexual harassment as eating disorders, poor self-esteem, dissociative anxiety disorders and 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, animal cruelty, crime in adulthood and suicide (Wisdom, Dumont, & Czaja, 2007).

International labour Organization–ILO (1992) revealed that cases of sexual

harassment are not often reported for fear of victimization and stigmatization. It further stated that some consequences of sexual harassment cited by respondents include: anger, distrust and hatred for the male perpetrator, loss of confidence and self esteem by the female, psychological trauma and powerlessness. Based on the aforementioned gory statistics on consequences of sexual harassment, it can be adduced that sexual harassment may lead to devastating health, social, emotional and educational consequences which may jeopardize attainment of Nigerian educational objectives for secondary school education as stipulated in the National Policy on Education and hinder accomplishment of individual adolescent girl’s ambitions. Suffice to say, that adolescent girls in Ohafia Local Government Area College of Education may also be unable to concentrate on their studies as a result of sexual harassment by male teachers and students, thus, the accomplishment of their set educational goals and ambitions may be jeopardized.

In addition, typical school settings should be an ambiance of serenity that fosters cordial interactions between male teachers, male students and girls, but manifestation of sexual harassment in the school setting obviate this situation. Since the adolescent girls are more likely to experience sexual harassment than the boys (AAUW, 2006), a concise

rendition of definitions of a girl becomes imperative.

Hornby (2005) defined a girl as a female child, a young woman or a daughter.  Wikpedia foundation (2010) defined a girl as any female human from birth through childhood and adolescent to attainment of adulthood. It further stated that it might be used to mean a young woman. In the context of this study, a girl refers to a female child who is a student in college of education in Ohafia Local Government Area, Abia State. Conceptualizing a teacher in a typical school setting as a source of information and impartation of skills can inform our in-depth understanding of the concept of a teacher.

A teacher is a person whose job is teaching especially in a school (Hornby, 2005).  Teachers teach students to read, write, do mathematics and much more. They show students skills and explain information and try to make their lessons easy to understand by teaching things in different ways so that different students can learn in the way that is easiest for them. Contrary to these noble functions, involvement of teachers, specifically male teachers in sexual harassment is an anomaly, which incongruously violates the ethics of teaching. Therefore, sexual harassment of adolescent girls by teachers and students in Ohafia In college of educations if perpetuated is unacceptable. In this present study, a teacher shall refer to a qualified or certified person who has received adequate training in a particular field of study and teaches that discipline of study as a subject in any of the College of Education in Ohafia LGA, Abia State.

Hornby (2010) defined a male student as a person who is studying at a college or university. In the context of this study, a male student shall refer to any male student who is enrolled in any secondary school in Ohafia local government area of Abia State. This study will be conducted in Ohafia LGA of Abia State. This study covered all the governmentowned co-education College of Education in the LGA. The prevailing status quo of sexual harassment of adolescent girls by male teachers and students in Ohafia LGA school system may be perceived as bizarre. This situation, if not curtailed, might as well unleash devastating

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consequences on girls, which may place their future ambitions and even life in quandary. Against this backdrop, therefore, this study aims to investigate prevalence and correlates of sexual harassment by male teachers and students among girls in Ohafia In college of educations, Abia State.

 

 

 

 

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 College of Education 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.

Studies conducted observed that prevalence of sexual harassment in educational institutions in Nigeria including Ohafia In college of educations seems to continue in an unprecedented manner while many factors (correlates) have also been implicated in this trend. This absurd situation poses the question of what is the prevalence of sexual harassment of girls by male teachers and students in Ohafia LGA? In addition, though several factors have been implicated in the epidemic of sexual harassment in some educational institutions in other regions of the country which may not be obtainable in Ohafia LGA, there arises a question of what factors (correlates) are responsible for sexual harassment of girls by male teachers and students in college of education located in Ohafia LGA?

It is imperative to bear in mind that studies conducted in developed nations of

America and Europe, Asia and Sub-Sahara Africa cannot be transplanted completely into the

Nigerian context. This observable fact points to the need to investigate prevalence and

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correlates of sexual harassment of secondary school girls by male teachers and students in Ohafia LGA. None of such studies seems to have so far been conducted among in-school adolescent girls in Ohafia LGA to fill up this gap. This situation justifies the present study.

 

Purpose of the Study 

The purpose of the study is to investigate prevalence and correlates of sexual harassment by male teachers and students among female students in college of education, Ohafia LGA.

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;
  4. relationship between age of girls and sexual harassment of girls by male teachers and students;
  5. prevalence of sexual harassment of girls by male teachers and students according to class of girls’;
  6. relationship between class of girls’ and sexual harassment of girls by male teachers and students;
  7. prevalence of sexual harassment of girls by male teachers and students according to girls’ parent educational levels;
  8. relationship between girls’ parent educational levels and sexual harassment by male teachers and students;
  9. prevalence of sexual harassment of girls by male teachers and students according to school location;
  10. relationship between school location and sexual harassment of girls’ by male teachers and students;

 

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 College of Education in Ohafia L.G.A?
  2. What are the correlates of sexual harassment of girls by male teachers and students of College of Education in Ohafia L.G.A?
  3. What is the prevalence of sexual harassment of girls by male teachers and students of College of Education in Ohafia L.G.A according to age?
  4. What is the relationship between age of girls and sexual harassment of girls by male teachers and students?
  5. What is the prevalence of sexual harassment of girls by male teachers and students according to class of girls?
  6. What is the relationship between class of girls and sexual harassment of girls by male teachers and students?
  7. What is the prevalence of sexual harassment of girls by male teachers and students according to girls’ parent educational levels?
  8. What is the relationship between girls’ parent educational levels and sexual harassment by male teachers and students?
  9. What is the prevalence of sexual harassment of girls by male teachers and students according to school location?
  10. What is the relationship between school location and sexual harassment of girls by male teachers and students of College of Education in Ohafia L.G.A?

 

 

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.
  4. There is no significant difference in the prevalence of sexual harassment of girls by male students according to class.
  5. There is no significant difference in the prevalence of sexual harassment of girls by male teachers according to parent educational level.
  6. There is no significant difference in the prevalence of sexual harassment of girls by male students according to parent educational level.
  7. There is no significant difference in the prevalence of sexual harassment of girls by male teachers according to school location.
  8. There is no significant difference in the prevalence of sexual harassment of girls by male students according to school location.

 

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.

The finding will reveal prevalence rate of sexual harassment of girls by male teachers and students according to class. The result will be useful to health administrators, school authorities and guidance counselors in ascertaining the class or stratum, that is most harassed or vulnerable. This will enable the school authority to organize talk shows, dramatize and distribute hand bills show casing the various consequences of sexual harassment such as teenage pregnancy, STIs, and victims of school drop out suffering or hawking to make both ends meet for them. This will help the girls to be assertive and flee from sexual harassment.

The finding will reveal the relationship between class of girls and sexual harassment by male teachers and students. The result will be useful to school authorities, health administrators, guidance counselors to identify the most vulnerable class and it will help the school authority to formulate policies to punish male perpetrators of the act publicly during morning assembly, this act may motivate the adolescent girls to report any case of sexual harassment on them by male teachers and students.

The finding will reveal the prevalence of sexual harassment of girls by male teachers and students according to girls’ parent educational levels. The result will be useful to health educators, parent, school authorities and caretakers of girls. This will help to educate parents and empower them through parent –teacher associations exposing them to the factors that predispose their girls to sexual harassment. Such constant expositions will help parents to be more close to their girls to give them room to report cases of sexual harassment to them.

The finding will reveal relationship between girls’ parent educational levels and sexual harassment by male teachers and students. The result will be useful to parents, guardians and school authorities. The school authorities in collaboration with parent teachers association should organize periodic meetings termly where parents especially, those with low levels of education are educated and equipped with positive health informations on sexuality matters which they will in turn pass to their daughters, all these are aimed at preventing sexual harassment of the girls.

The finding will reveal the prevalence of sexual harassment of girls by male teachers and students according to school location. The result will be useful to school authorities, health educators and researchers. The school authorities should organize orientation services for new students and health talks and seminars should be held often to educate girls to always be in company of friends or join group activities to avoid being targeted by potential harassers.

The findings will reveal the relationship between school location and sexual harassment of girls by male teachers and students. This will be useful to parents, school authorities, government agencies and researchers. The finding will be significant to health educators and researchers to design sexual harassment intervention programmes that will be of immense help to the girls.

Scholars and the reading public will benefit from the theoretical significance of this study; it will contribute to the building up of relevant theories in the field of the study. Also, data generated will increase available data in field of health education and adolescent health and literature on sexual harassment prevalence and correlates among adolescent girls.

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 female students in college of education 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 coeducational College of Education in Ohafia LGA with the exemption of the exclusively Girls’ and Boys’ College of Education, mission and private College of Education. The restriction of the scope to co-educational College of Education could be attributed to Mama’s (1996) and AAUW’s (2006) assertions that sexual harassment prevalence is more unprecedented in mixed schools.

THE STUDY OF SEXUAL HARASSMENT AMONG FEMALE STUDENTS IN COLLEGE OF EDUCATION

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