Differential Gender Perception Of Sexual Abuse Among Adolescents In Secondary Schools
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Differential Gender Perception Of Sexual Abuse Among Adolescents In Secondary Schools
ABSTRACT
The study looked at how adolescents in secondary schools perceive sexual abuse differently based on their gender. The experimental design was employed to assess respondents’ attitudes, with the use of a questionnaire to elicit replies from participants. One hundred and twenty (120) pupils were chosen at random from three senior secondary schools within the study’s local government.
The study was conducted using a self-designed questionnaire. The study proposed and tested five hypotheses, using the independent t-test for hypothesis one and three, analysis of variance for hypothesis two, and Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient tool for hypotheses four and five at a significance level of 0.05.
At the end of the analysis, the following results emerged: Hypothesis one revealed that there was a significant difference between family conflicts and sexual abuse; Hypothesis two revealed that there was a significant relationship between policies, family environments and sexual abuse;
Hypothesis three revealed that there is no significant difference between adolescents’ anxieties and sexual abuse; and Hypothesis four revealed that there was a significant relationship Based on the study’s findings, the following recommendations were made, among others: the government should raise awareness of sexuality education and the dangers involved in any person who has been caught in sexual abuse.
Furthermore, the government should hire individuals who have studied and are competent in the field of sexuality education. As a result, it is recommended that similar research with relevant research methodology be conducted in other states of the federation to determine the degree of conformity that this research has on sexual abuse and sexuality education of adolescents among all senior secondary school students in Nigeria.
Chapter one
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background for the Study
Over the last 30 years, researchers, doctors, and other health advocates have investigated the occurrence, prevalence, and repercussions of sexual violence in domestically abusive relationships, such as adult marriage and cohabiting relationships. Until recently, sexually motivated offences committed in adolescent acquaintance and romantic relationships went mostly unreported (Wordes& Nunez, 2002).
In reality, the majority of research, education, and prevention efforts for adolescent populations have focused on sexual violence perpetrated by a parent or carer (Stufflebeam, D. L. 2003).
However, greater investigation into rape and sexual assault among our country’s children, such as the National Council on Crime and Delinquency’s examination of teen victimisation (Wordes & Nunez, 2002) and the U.S. The US Department of Justice’s (USDOJ) review of Sexual Victimisation of College Women (Fisher, Cullen, and Turner, 2000) has focused emphasis on the nature and repercussions of sexual violence among our youth population.
This emphasis has resulted in the addition of two Healthy People 2010 targets aimed explicitly at reducing rape, attempted rape, and sexual assault among Nigeria’s children and adolescents.
In the World Report on Violence and Health (Krug, Dahlberg, Mercy, Zwi, & Lozano, 2002), the World Health Organisation (WHO) 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 person’s 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 can include attempted and/or completed rape, sexual coercion and harassment, sexual contact with force or fear of force, and threats of rape (Fisher, Cullen, and Turner, 2000; WHO, 2002).
According to the American Academy of Paediatrics (AAP), adolescents are more likely than any other age group to be victims of sexual violence (AAP, 2001).
Women under the age of 25 account for more than half of all victims of sexual crimes, including rape and sexual assault. The National Crime Victim Survey (2000) found that adolescent females aged 16 to 19 are four times more likely than the general population to report sexual assault, rape, or attempted rape.
Often, this violence occurs in the context of dating or acquaintance relationships, with the female partner being the most probable victim and the male partner being the most likely perpetrator.
Other forms of sexual violence against our country’s youth, such as sexual violence in gay and lesbian relationships, hate crimes, and hazing, are not covered in this assessment but should not be ignored.
Sexual abuse during childhood or adolescence is a developmental stressor that can have long-term physiological and psychosocial consequences (Banyard, Williams, & Siegel, 2001; Cicchetti & Rogosch, 2001; DeBellis, 2001).
It has been linked to a number of health-compromising activities and health problems, which are frequently seen as attempts to cope with the trauma caused 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 of victimisation, including physical and sexual Furthermore, power and control imbalances, financial resources, levels of life experience, and even physical strength and stature may put younger females in relationships with adult males at risk for unplanned and unprotected sex, unwanted pregnancy, and exposure to sexually transmitted infections such as HIV and AIDS.
While partnering with an older male may be considered consensual by the girl, her peers, and possibly her family, sexual relationships with much older males may fall under the legal definition of statutory rape.
As a result, numerous teen advocacy and pregnancy prevention groups have asked for enhanced use of existing statutory rape laws to assist in the prosecution and punishment of adult men who have sex with underage females (Harner, Burgess, & Asher, 2001).
1.2 Theoretical framework.
Bowen Theory
Bowen’s family systems theory (reduced to ‘Bowen theory’ in 1974) was one of the first comprehensive theories of family system functioning (Bowen, 1966, 1978; Kerr and Bowen, 1988). It remains a significant effect in the practice of family therapy. Some local family therapists may have been impacted by many of Bowen’s concepts.
Bowen family systems theory is a human behaviour theory that sees the family as an emotional unit and employs systems thinking to describe the complex connections within it.
A family’s members are naturally emotionally bonded. People sometimes feel remote or alienated from their families, although this is more of a sensation than a fact.
Family members have such a strong influence on each other’s ideas, feelings, and actions that it frequently appears as if they are living under the same “emotional skin.” People seek each other’s attention, acceptance, and support, and they react to one other’s needs, expectations, and distress.
Family members’ functioning is interconnected due to their connectivity and reactivity. A change in one person’s functioning is inevitably followed by corresponding changes in the functioning of others. Families vary in their degree of interdependence, but it is always present to some extent. Bowen’s theory consists of eight interwoven ideas.
Justification of Bowen Theory
Adolescence is a period of turmoil and stress; boys and girls engage in rape as a result of their unequal standing under the law of the land. If a rape occurs, everyone, regardless of authority or personality, should have the right to report it to the appropriate authorities. If everything is similar in how you treat a rich man victim and a poor man victim, the number of perpetrators will decrease dramatically.
Furthermore, counsellors, instructors, and others should endeavour to implement various mechanisms to lower the rate of rape in society and treat everyone equally 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” since rape and sexual assault are commonly unreported to police and other authorities (Abbey, Zawacki, Buck, Clinton, & Mcauslan, 2001).
According to the Texas Association Against Sexual Assault (2001), less than 15% of all rapes are recorded. The researcher has expressed worry about dwelling on the study.
Adolescents may also minimise sexually aggressive behaviours or fail to recognise sexual acts as crimes, leading to a failure to disclose sexual abuse cases. Fisher, Cullen, and Turner (2000) found that among college women who recounted having a sexual act that met the legal definition of rape, less than half (46.5%) personally classified the encounter as rape.
This could be attributed to a variety of circumstances, including denial, sexual inexperience, guilt, previous victimisation, and acceptance of established gender stereotypes.
Furthermore, the misconception that visible injuries and physical trauma are always present after an assault may lead to some teenagers, particularly those with minor physical injuries, failing to identify as victims. This causes the researcher great concern, and he or she will most likely develop a paradigm to follow when an adolescent is sexually molested.
Fear may also have a substantial impact on an adolescent’s willingness to report a sexual assault case. Fisher, Cullen, and Turner (2000) found that 95% of rapes among college-aged women went unreported to the authorities.
While two-thirds of the victims told someone about the assault, such as a friend, family member, or college official, victims cited fear of being treated hostilely by the police (24.7%) and fear of retaliation by the assailant or others (39.5%) as reasons for not reporting the crime. Fear can be a significant barrier to reporting when the perpetrator is a fellow student or peer with whom the victim must engage on a frequent basis.
The characteristics of the abuse experience differ between females and boys. According to the study, the estimated percentage of male offenders for male victims ranges from 18 to 97, whereas the anticipated percentage of male perpetrators for female victims ranges from 80 to 100 (Dhaliwal, 1996).
Though most studies on sexual violence among adolescents focus on college-aged groups, there is rising evidence that sexual violence in dating and acquaintance relationships can occur in even younger populations (Beyer & Ogletree, 1998).
In 1998, the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Violence Against Women Survey, which investigated the incidence and prevalence of both intimate partner violence and sexual violence, found that one out of every six women had been raped or attempted raped by the age of 18 (Tjaden and Thoennes, 1998). Almost one-third (32%) of these assaults occurred between the ages of twelve and seventeen.
Fear may also influence an adolescent’s willingness to report sexual abuse. Fisher, Cullen, and Turner (2000) found that 95% of rapes among college-aged women went unreported to the authorities. While two-thirds of the victims told someone about the assault, such as a friend, family member, or college official, victims cited fear of being treated hostilely by the police (24.7%) and fear of retaliation by the assailant or others (39.5%) as reasons for not reporting the crime. Fear can be a significant barrier to reporting when the perpetrator is a fellow student or peer with whom the victim must engage on a frequent basis.
This is an issue for society since the victim who chooses not to report the rape will likely be isolated from his or her peers.
The most typical age for sexual abuse to occur is nine. Teenagers are the most likely to report sexual abuse, yet they are often victimised for many years before disclosing it. Most sexual abuse, particularly that involving a long-term relationship or incest, begins before the child enters puberty (Daugherty, 2012).
Given the gravity of the situation, this study looks into the various gender perceptions of sexual abuse among adolescents in secondary schools.
1.3 Objectives of the Study
The study’s major goal was to evaluate the gender differences in teenagers’ perceptions of sexual abuse in secondary schools in Lagos State’s Ikorodu Local Government Area. This study primarily aims to examine.
i. Whether there is a significant gender difference in family conflicts involving sexual abuse among adolescents.
ii. Whether there is a strong link between home circumstances and sexual abuse among adolescents.
iii. Whether or whether there is a significant association between adolescents’ worries about sexual abuse.
iv. Is there a strong association between peer group and sexual abuse among adolescents?
v. Is there a strong association between sexuality education and sexual abuse among adolescents?
1.4 Research Questions.
i. What elements can influence how gender and family disputes affect teenage sexual abuse?
ii. What recommendations may be made to assist in the development of policies that have a positive impact on family situations and sexual abuse among adolescents?
iii. Is there a strong relationship between adolescents’ fears about sexual abuse?
iv. Is there a strong association between peer groups and sexual abuse among adolescents?
V. Is there a significant association between sexuality education and sexual abuse among adolescents?
1.5 Research Hypothesis.
i. There is no significant gender influence between family conflicts and sexual abuse among adolescents.
ii. There is no significant link between effective family policy and adolescent sexual abuse.
iii. There is no substantial association between adolescent anxiety and sexual abuse among adolescents.
iv. There is no substantial association between peer groups and sexual abuse among adolescents.
V. There is no substantial association between sexuality education and sexual abuse among adolescents.
1.6 Significance of the Study
As a Master of Guidance and Counselling student, the researcher will greatly benefit from this study. It will allow him to better comprehend and respect the challenges and problems surrounding sexual assault. Adolescents’ emotional, social, and physical growth has a direct impact on their total development and future adulthood.
That is why we must grasp the importance of investing in teenagers in order to maximise their long-term well-being. Thus, the significance of this study stems from its ability to identify both factors that influence and those that potentially impede sexuality education and development in adolescents.
Furthermore, this study will help the government, particularly at the federal level, understand that budgetary allocations to education are insufficient and may lead to a change in policy or a rethinking of the issue of budgetary allocation to education in Nigeria. The study was a valuable resource for new researchers, students, and the general public alike.
1.7 Scope of Study
The study looked at how teenagers in secondary schools in the Ikorodu Local Government Area of Lagos perceived sexual assault differently based on gender.
1.8 Limitations of the Study
Health issues and a lack of suitable materials hampered the timely completion of this study.
1.9 Operational Definitions of Terms
Gender Difference: This is a male and female perspective on an event or behaviour.
WHO (1989) defines an adolescent as any person between the ages of ten and nineteen.
Sexual abuse occurs when a boy or girl engages in a sexual act.
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