Onyinyechi Maduakolam Ijeoma, Joy Onome Adonor, Sunday Ede Stephen, Chisom Favour Okoh
University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus, Nigeria.
University of Central Lancashire, Preston, UK.
J Child Sex Abus. 2023 Feb;32(2):204-224. doi: 10.1080/10538712.2023.2181902. Epub 2023 Feb 23.
Sexual violence among female adolescents is a pervasive problem. This is even worse in periods of unrest such as the COVID-19 pandemic, which heighten the vulnerability of these female adolescents' victims to the potential perpetrators of sexual violence. This study assessed the knowledge and experience of sexual violence amongst female adolescents in public schools in Enugu State, Nigeria, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Three hundred twenty-five adolescents (aged 10-19 years with a mean age of 12.8 ±2.8) female school students were purposively recruited in this cross-sectional study to complete a scale designed to measure the knowledge and experience of sexual violence among female adolescents. Findings showed a high (90.8%) knowledge level of sexual violence among adolescents. The majority of the perpetrators were their uncles (40.4%) and cousins (28.6%). Among 9.8% of the participants who had forced to have sex, about two-thirds (65.6%) have been raped 2 to 5 times. A significant difference was noted only between the respondent's class levels and their knowledge of sexual violence (p < .05) with higher classes having better knowledge. Female adolescents showed a good knowledge level about sexual violence, which might explain the low prevalence of sexual violence in the sample population. The study also provides evidence that females are most at risk of sexual violence from closer relations during times of crisis. Thus, these study findings add evidence to the literature that would guide policymakers, health, and social workers toward making campaigns and interventions that would prevent female adolescent sexual violence.
女性青少年中的性暴力是一个普遍存在的问题。在诸如新冠疫情这样的动荡时期，情况甚至更糟，这增加了这些女性青少年受害者遭受性暴力潜在施暴者侵害的脆弱性。本研究评估了新冠疫情期间尼日利亚埃努古州公立学校女性青少年中性暴力的知识和经历。在这项横断面研究中，有目的地招募了325名青少年（年龄在10至19岁之间，平均年龄为12.8±2.8岁）女学生，以完成一项旨在衡量女性青少年中性暴力知识和经历的量表。研究结果显示，青少年中性暴力知识水平较高（90.8%）。大多数施暴者是她们的叔叔（40.4%）和堂兄弟（28.6%）。在9.8%被迫发生性行为的参与者中，约三分之二（65.6%）曾被强奸2至5次。仅在受访者的年级水平与其性暴力知识之间发现了显著差异（p<0.05），年级越高知识水平越好。女性青少年对性暴力表现出良好的知识水平，这可能解释了样本人群中性暴力的低发生率。该研究还提供了证据，表明在危机时期，女性最容易受到近亲性暴力的威胁。因此，这些研究结果为文献增添了证据，将指导政策制定者、卫生和社会工作者开展预防女性青少年性暴力的宣传活动和干预措施。
