ABSTRACT
The
study investigated the differential gender perception of sexual abuse among
adolescents in secondary schools. Experimental design was used in order to
assess the opinions of the respondent with the use of questionnaire to deduce
responses from the participants. One hundred and twenty (120) students were
selected randomly from three senior secondary schools in the Local government
of the study. The instrument utilized for the study was Self designed
Questionnaire. Five hypotheses were postulated and tested in the study, using
the independent t-test for hypothesis one and hypothesis three, while
hypotheses two was analyzed with analysis of variance, while four and five were
tested using the Pearson Product Moment Correlation Co-efficient tool at 0.05
level of significance . At the end of the analysis, the following results
emerged: Hypothesis one revealed the that there was significant difference
between family conflicts and sexual
abuse; Hypothesis two revealed that there was
significant relationship between Policies, Family environments and sexual abuse; Hypothesis
three revealed that there is no
significant difference between anxieties
by adolescents and sexual abuse; and Hypothesis
four revealed that there was
significant relationship between groups
by adolescents and sexual abuse; while Hypothesis five revealed that there was significant relationship
between sexuality educations acquired
by adolescents and sexual abuse. Based on the findings of the study, the
following recommendations among others were forwarded that government should create awareness of sexuality
education and danger involved in any one who is been caught in sexual abuse.
More so, Government should also employ those that study sexuality education and
competent in the field of sexuality education. Hence, it is suggested
that similar research with relevant research methodology should be used in
carrying out research in other states of the federation to ascertain the degree
of conformity which this research have on sexual abuse and sexuality education of adolescents of all senior
secondary school students in Nigeria.
TABLE
OF CONTENTS
PAGES
Title page i
Certification ii
Dedication iii
Acknowledgments iv
Abstract v
Table of contents vi
CHAPTER
ONE: INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the Study 1
1.2 Theoretical
framework 3
1.3 Statement
of the problem 5
1.4 Purpose of study 7
1.5 Research Questions 8
1.6 Research Hypothesis 8
1.7 Significance of study 9
1.8 Scope of the Study 10
1.9 Limitation of the Study 10
1.10 Operational Definition of Terms 10
CHAPTER
TWO: REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
2.1 Concept
of child sexual abuse 11
2.2 Counsellor’s
Gender 12
2.3 Realities
of Child Sexual Assault 13
2.4 The
Offenders on Sexual Abuse 15
2.5 The
Effects of Child Sexual Assault 19
2.6 Prevention
and Education 20
2.7 Cultural
Considerations on sexual abuse 21
2.8 Summary
of Literature Review 23
CHAPTER
THREE: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
3.1 Research Design 25
3.2 Area of the study 25
3.3 Population of the study 26
3.4 Sample and Sampling
Technique 26
3.5 Research Instruments and their validation 26
3.6 Pilot Study 27
3.7 Administration of
Instruments on sample 27
3.8 Statistical Methods of
data Analysis 27
CHAPTER
FOUR: DATA ANALYSIS AND PRESENTATION OF RESULTS
4.1 Introduction 28
4.2 Hypotheses Testing 28
4.3 Discussion of Findings 32
CHAPTER
FIVE: SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
5.1 Summary of the Study 40
5.2 Conclusions 41
5.3 Recommendation 42
5.4 Summary of Findings 43
REFERENCES 45
APPENDIX 49
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background
to the Study
Over the last three decades,
researchers, clinicians, and other health advocates have explored the
incidence, prevalence, and consequences of sexual violence occurring within the
context of domestically violent relationships, including adult marital and
cohabiting relationships. Until recently, sexually based crimes occurring
within adolescent acquaintance and dating relationships have gone largely
unnoticed (Wordes& Nunez, 2002). In fact, most research, education, and
preventative measures with adolescent populations have largely been related to
sexual violence perpetrated by a parent or caregiver ( Stufflebeam, D. L.
2003). However, increased inquiry into rape and sexual assault among our
nation's youth, such as the National Council on Crime and Delinquency's review
of victimization of teenagers (Wordes& Nunez, 2002) and the U.S. Department
of Justices' (USDOJ) evaluation of Sexual Victimization of College Women
(Fisher, Cullen, and Turner, 2000), has focused attention on the nature and
consequences of sexual violence occurring within our adolescent population.
This attention has resulted in the inclusion of two Healthy People 2010
objectives that relate specifically to reducing rape, attempted rape, and
sexual assault among children and adolescent in Nigeria.
The World Health
Organization (WHO), in the World Report on Violence and Health (Krug,
Dahlberg, Mercy, Zwi, & Lozano, 2002), defined sexual violence as: Any
sexual act, attempt to obtain a sexual act, unwanted sexual comments or
advances, or acts to traffic, or otherwise directed, against a persons
sexuality using coercion, by any person, regardless of their relationship to
the victim, in any setting, including but not limited to home and work. Sexual
violence may include attempted and/or completed rape, sexual coercion and
harassment, sexual contact with force or threat of force, and threat of rape
(Fisher, Cullen, and Turner, 2000; WHO, 2002). According to the American
Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), adolescents are more likely to experience sexually
violent crimes than any other age group (AAP, 2001). In fact, greater than half
of all victims of sexual crimes, including rape and sexual assault, are women
under the age of 25 years. The National Crime Victim Survey (2000) noted that
adolescent females age 16-19 are four times more likely than the general
population to report sexual assault, rape, and attempted rape. Often this
violence occurs within the context of dating or acquaintance relationships,
with the female partner the likely victim of violence and the male partner the
likely perpetrator. However, other forms of sexual violence occurring
among our nations youth, including sexual violence in gay and lesbian
relationships, sexual violence perpetrated as hate crimes, and sexual violence
as a form of hazing, while not included in this review, should not be
disregarded.
Sexual abuse experienced in childhood or adolescence is a developmental
stressor that can have profound, long-term physiologic and psychosocial effects
(Banyard, Williams, & Siegel, 2001; Cicchetti & Rogosch, 2001;
DeBellis, 2001). It has been associated with a variety of health-compromising
behaviours and health problems, often considered attempts to cope with the
trauma engendered by the abuse (Barker & Musick, 1994; Finkelhor &
Browne, 1985; Hutchinson & Langlykke, 1997).
Over the last decade, there has
been a growing interest in the partnering of adolescent females with older
adult males, often referred to as adult-teen sex (Donovan, 1997; Elstein&
Davis, 1997; Harner, Burgess, & Asher, 2001; Lindberg, Sonenstein, Ku, and
Martinez , 1997.) While most adult women do partner with slightly older males,
application of this social norm to adolescent females has been linked to an
increased risk for victimization, including physical and sexual violence.
Furthermore, imbalances in power and control, financial resources, levels of
life experience, and even physical strength and stature may place younger
females partnered with adult males at risk for experiencing unplanned and
unprotected sex, unwanted pregnancy, and exposure to sexually transmitted
infections, including HIV and AIDS. While partnering with an older male may be
considered consensual in nature to the female, her peers, and possibly her family,
sexual relationships with significantly older males may meet the legal
definition of statutory rape. As such, several teen advocacy and pregnancy
prevention programs have called for increased utilization of existing statutory
rape laws to aid in the prosecution and punishment of adult men who have sex
with adolescent females (Harner, Burgess, & Asher, 2001).
1.2 Theoretical framework
Bowen Theory
Bowen's family
systems theory (shortened to 'Bowen theory' from 1974) was one of the first
comprehensive theories of family systems functioning (Bowen, 1966, 1978, Kerr
and Bowen, 1988). It continues to be a central influence in the practice of
family therapy. It is possible that some
local family therapists have been influenced by many of Bowen's ideas
Bowen family systems theory is a theory of human behavior
that views the family as an emotional unit and uses systems thinking to
describe the complex interactions in the unit. It is the nature of a family
that its members are intensely connected emotionally. Often people feel distant
or disconnected from their families, but this is more feeling than fact. Family
members so profoundly affect each other's thoughts, feelings, and actions that
it often seems as if people are living under the same "emotional
skin." People solicit each other's attention, approval, and support and
react to each other's needs, expectations, and distress. The connectedness and
reactivity make the functioning of family members interdependent. A change in
one person's functioning is predictably followed by reciprocal changes in the
functioning of others. Families differ somewhat in the degree of
interdependence, but it is always present to some degree. Eight interlocking
concepts make up Bowen's theory.
Justification
of Bowen
theory
Adolescence is a stage of storm and stress; boys and girls are into rape
due to the unequal before the law of the land. There should be right to speak
out to the necessary authorities if rape incident occurs, regardless of power
and personality. If things are all equal, the way you treat a rich man victim
and a poor man victim, the rate of the perpetrators will significantly reduce.
Besides, counsellors, teachers and significant others should try to apply
different mechanism to reduces the rate of rape in the society and to treat
everybody equal before the law.
1.2 Statement of the problem
Sexual violence is often referred
to as a "hidden" crime (CDC, 2000) or a "silent epidemic"
as rape and sexual assault frequently go unreported to the police and other
authorities (Abbey, Zawacki, Buck, Clinton, & Mcauslan, 2001). In fact,
according to the Texas Association Against Sexual Assault (2001), less than 15%
of rapes are ever reported. This has been a concern for the researcher to dwell
on the study.
Adolescents also may minimize
sexually violent behaviours or may not perceive the sexual act as a crime and
thus, not report sexual abuse case. Fisher, Cullen, and Turner (2000) noted
that among college women who described experiencing a sexual act meeting the
legal definition of rape, less than half (46.5%) personally defined the
experience as rape. This may be due to several factors, including denial,
sexual inexperience, guilt, previous victimization, and acceptance of
traditional sex-role stereotypes. Furthermore, the misperception that visible
injuries and physical trauma are always present after assault may cause some
adolescents, especially those with minimal physical injuries, to not identify
as a victim. This gives the researcher so much concern and if probably to
design a paradigm to follow when adolescent is sexually abused.
Fear may also significantly
impact an adolescent's likelihood of reporting sexual abuse case. Among college
age women, Fisher, Cullen, and Turner (2000) noted that 95% of rapes were not
reported to the police. While two-thirds of the victims did tell someone about
the assault, such as a friend, family member, or college official, victims cited
fear that they would be treated hostility by the police (24.7%) and fear of
reprisal by the assailant or others (39.5%) as factors influencing their
decision not to report the crime. Fear may be a significant barrier to
reporting when the perpetrator is a fellow classmate or peer with whom the
victim must interact on a regular basis.
Characteristics of the
abuse experience have also been shown to differ for girls and boys. It was
found that the estimated percentage of male victims’ perpetrators who are themselves
male ranges from 18 to 97, depending on the study, and that the estimated
percentage of male perpetrators for female victims ranges from 80 to 100 ( Dhaliwal,
1996).
Though most investigations
regarding sexual violence occurring among adolescents target college-age
populations, there is growing evidence that sexual violence in dating and
acquaintance relationships may occur among much younger populations (Beyer
&Ogletree, 1998). In 1998 the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions
National Violence Against Women Survey, which explored the incidence and
prevalence of both intimate partner violence and sexual violence, noted that
one out of every six women has been the victim of rape or attempted rape by the
age of 18 (Tjaden and Thoennes, 1998). Almost one-third (32%) of these assaults
took place between the ages of 12 and 17 years.
Fear may also significantly
impact an adolescent's likelihood of reporting sexual abuse. Among college age
women, Fisher, Cullen, and Turner (2000) noted that 95% of rapes were not
reported to the police. While two-thirds of the victims did tell someone about
the assault, such as a friend, family member, or college official, victims
cited fear that they would be treated hostility by the police (24.7%) and fear
of reprisal by the assailant or others (39.5%) as factors influencing their
decision not to report the crime. Fear may be a significant barrier to
reporting when the perpetrator is a fellow classmate or peer with whom the
victim must interact on a regular basis.
This is a problem to the society
because the victim that seizes not to report the rape case will be likely to
face isolation from his or her peers.
The most common age for sexual abuse to begin is age nine. Most sexual
abuse is reported by teenagers, but they have usually been victimized for many
years before finally reporting the abuse. Most sexual abuse, particularly that
involving a continuing relationship or incest, starts before the child reaches
puberty (Daugherty, 2012).
Therefore, considering the gravity of the problem, this study
investigates the differential gender perception of
sexual abuse among adolescents in secondary schools.
1.3 Purpose of study
The main purpose of the study was to determine the differential
gender perception of sexual abuse among adolescents in secondary schools in Ikorodu Local Government Area of Lagos
State. This research specifically seeks to evaluate.
i.
Whether there
is any significant gender difference between family conflicts on sexual abuse
among adolescents.
ii.
Whether there
is any significant relationship between family environments on sexual abuse
among adolescents.
iii.
Whether there
is any significant relationship that exists between anxieties by adolescents on
sexual abuse among adolescents.
iv.
Whether there
is any significant relationship that exists between peer group on sexual abuse
among adolescents.
v.
Whether there
is any significant relationship that exists between sexuality education on sexual
abuse among adolescents.
1.4 Research
Questions
i.
What are the factors that can influence
gender and family conflicts on sexual abuse among
adolescents?
ii.
What are the recommendations that can
be appropriate to help formulate policies that effectively influence family environments and sexual abuse among adolescents?
iii.
Is there any
significant relationship that exists between anxieties by adolescents on sexual
abuse among adolescents?
iv.
Is there any
significant relationship that exists between peer groups on sexual abuse among
adolescents?
v.
Is there any
significant relationship that exists between sexuality educations on sexual
abuse among adolescents?
1.5 Research
Hypothesis
i.
There is no
significant gender influence that exists between family conflicts on sexual abuse among adolescents.
ii.
There is no
significant relationship between appropriate policies
that effectively influence family
environments and sexual abuse
among adolescents.
iii.
There is no
significant relationship that exists between anxieties by adolescents on sexual
abuse among adolescents.
iv.
There is no
significant relationship that exists between peer groups on sexual abuse among
adolescents.
v.
There is no
significant relationship that exists between sexuality educations on sexual
abuse among adolescents.
1.6 Significance
of study
This study is of
immense value to the researcher as a student of Master of Guidance and
counselling. It will enable him to understand and appreciate the issues and
problems involved in sexual abuse. The emotional, social and physical development
of adolescents has a direct effect on their overall development and on the
adult they will become. That is why we have to understanding the need to invest
in adolescents is so important, so as to maximize their future well-being.
Thus, the importance of this study lies in its ability to bring out factors
that influence, as well as factors that can hinder sexuality education and
development in adolescents.
Also, the government especially at the federal level will through this
study understand that budgetary allocations given to education is inadequate
and may have a change of policy or a rethink on the issue of budgeting
allocation to education in Nigeria. The study was an important reference
material to new researchers, students and the general public as well.
1.7 Scope
of the Study
The study covered differential gender perception of
sexual abuse among adolescents in secondary schoolsin Ikorodu Local Government Area of Lagos.
1.8 Limitation
of the Study
Health challenges and sourcing of good materials posed as hindrance to
the timely completion of this study.
1.9 Operational
Definition of Terms
Gender Difference: This is a male and female view towards event or
behaviour.
Adolescent:
WHO (1989) defines an adolescent as any person between ages 10 and 19
Sexual Abuse:
This is the event by boy or girl in sexual act.
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