Sexual Harassment and Female Undergraduates’ Academic Posture in Oyo State, Nigeria

Abstract

Sexual harassment stands as one of the most widespread manifestations of gender-based violence confronting female students within Nigerian tertiary institutions. This study investigates the prevalence of sexual harassment among female students at Emmanuel Alayande University of Education, Oyo, with the aim of identifying both the underlying causes and the resulting effects on students' academic performance. Two research questions guided the investigation, which employed a descriptive survey research design. A total sample of 120 students, drawn randomly at a rate of 24 per faculty, participated in the study. Data were gathered using a self-developed questionnaire, the Sexual Harassment of Female Students in Tertiary Institutions Questionnaire (SHOFSOTIQ), and subsequently analyzed through simple descriptive statistical methods. The results show that sexual harassment is primarily driven by factors such as students' dressing and appearance, insufficient parental supervision and care, and the pursuit of academic assistance from lecturers, while its effects manifest as diminished self-esteem and self-efficacy, depression and related health complications, declining academic performance, and impaired memory function. Based on these findings, the study recommends that governments at all levels across Nigeria fully develop and enforce policies aimed at preventing sexual harassment, with a view to minimizing its occurrence within tertiary institutions nationwide and in Oyo State in particular.