Dataset Information

Students' experiences of sexual harassment; a descriptive cross-sectional study in a college of education, Ghana.

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

Sexual harassment is a component of gender-based discrimination that indicates unequal power relations and affects students' psychological and physical well-being and academic achievement. This study assessed students' experiences of sexual harassment at the Offinso College of Education.

Methods

This cross-sectional descriptive study incorporated a whole population sampling of second and third-year female students to respond to a pre-tested questionnaire uploaded on Google Forms. The data were vetted for appropriateness, cleaned in Microsoft Excel, and transferred to IBM Statistical Package for Social Sciences for analysis into descriptive statistics and chi-square tests of associations.

Results

The study indicated that women (66%) had previously had sex before admission into college and perceived that they were at risk of sexual harassment (43.0%). It was statistically significant that the student's level of education was associated with the experience of being sexually harassed (χ2 = 10.950, p-value <0.00) and the perception that sexual harassment was a problem among students (χ2 = 13.376, p-value <0.01). The nature of the female students' marital relationships was statistically significant (χ2 = 11.209, p-value<0.02) to the perception of sexual harassment as a problem in the college.

Conclusion

Female students must have adequate education on the sexual harassment policy of the institution and measures put in place to identify and provide appropriate sanctions to issues of sexual harassment at the college education level.

SUBMITTER: Konlan KD

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10102191 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

Students' experiences of sexual harassment; a descriptive cross-sectional study in a college of education, Ghana.

Konlan Kennedy Diema KD Dangah Muriel Mavis MM

Heliyon 20230328 4

<h4>Introduction</h4>Sexual harassment is a component of gender-based discrimination that indicates unequal power relations and affects students' psychological and physical well-being and academic achievement. This study assessed students' experiences of sexual harassment at the Offinso College of Education.<h4>Methods</h4>This cross-sectional descriptive study incorporated a whole population sampling of second and third-year female students to respond to a pre-tested questionnaire uploaded on G ...[more]

PMID: 37064438

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Project description:ObjectiveThe aim of the current study was to provide estimates of both overall and specific forms of sexual harassment among male and female college and university students.Design and settingData stem from a recent national student health survey from 2018 for higher education in Norway (the SHoT study (Students' Health and Wellbeing Study)).Participants50 054 full-time students (69.1% women) aged 18-35 years participated, yielding a response rate of 31%.Main outcome measureSexual harassment was defined according to Norwegian legal regulations, and was assessed by self-report on seven items covering verbal, non-verbal and physical sexual harassment. We also collected data on the timeframe and frequency of the sexual harassment, in addition to the formal position of the perpetrator of the harassment.ResultsLifetime sexual harassment was reported by 24.2% (women 31.3%, men 8.0%), while 16.7% (women 21.6%, men 5.7%) reported having been sexually harassed within the past year. The most common forms of lifetime (ever having experienced) sexual harassments were 'sexual expressions, suggestions or comments about your body' and 'unwanted touching, hugging or kissing' (both 15.4%), while rape and rape attempt were reported by 3.4% and 2.1%, respectively. Exposure to all forms of past-year sexual harassments was significantly more common among women and the youngest age cohorts. Fellow students committed the past-year sexual harassment in 18%-29% of the instances, while a university staff member was reported to have committed the harassment in 0.6%-4.6% of cases.ConclusionGiven the potential consequences suffered by those exposed to sexual harassment and assault, both the institutions and student welfare organisations should intensify their efforts to put the theme on the agenda and provide both legal and health services to victims of sexual harassment. The low response rate means that care should be taken in interpreting and generalising the findings to the whole student population.

Project description:PurposeCollege-bound young people experience sexual assault, both before and after they enter college. This study examines historical risk factors (experiences and exposures that occurred prior to college) for penetrative sexual assault (PSA) victimization since entering college.MethodsA cross-sectional study, including an online population-based quantitiative survey with undergraduate students was conducted in spring 2016. Bivariate analyses and multivariable regressions examined risk and protective factors associated with ever experiencing PSA since entering college. Concurrently-collected in-depth ethnographic interviews with 151 students were reviewed for information related to factors identified in the survey.ResultsIn bivariate analyses, multiple historical factors were significantly associated with PSA in college including adverse childhood experiences and having experienced unwanted sexual contact before college (for women) and initiation of alcohol, marijuana, and sexual behaviors before age 18. Significant independent risk factors for college PSA included female gender, experiencing unwanted sexual contact before college, first oral sex before age 18, and "hooking up" (e.g., causual sex or sex outside a committed partnership) in high school. Receipt of school-based sex education promoting refusal skills before age 18 was an independent protective factor; abstinence-only instruction was not. In the ethnographic interviews, students reported variable experiences with sex education before college; many reported it was awkward and poorly delivered.ConclusionsMultiple experiences and exposures prior to college influenced the risk of penetrative sexual assault in college. Pre-college comprehensive sexuality education, including skills-based training in refusing unwanted sex, may be an effective strategy for preventing sexual assault in college. Sexual assault prevention needs to begin earlier; successful prevention before college should complement prevention efforts once students enter college.

Project description:BackgroundEvidence has shown that HIV prevalence among young people, especially college students, has increased disproportionately. Preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and postexposure prophylaxis (PEP) are two of the most effective ways to prevent HIV, which are vital for college students with sexual experiences who have sexual risks.ObjectiveTo provide evidence for effective intervention to reduce the risk of HIV infection among young students, this study aimed to analyze the awareness and uptake of HIV PrEP and PEP among college students with sexual experiences.MethodsAn institutional-based cross-sectional study design was used to collect data through an electronic questionnaire from college students in 5 colleges located in Zhejiang Province. A total of 21,962 college students were investigated, of which 2605 students with sexual experiences were included in the data analysis with the following information collected: sociodemographic characteristics, awareness and uptake of HIV PrEP and PEP, sexual behaviors, and HIV tests. Binary logistic regression analysis was used to explore the factors on seeking PrEP and PEP.ResultsThe average age of college students with sexual experiences was 21.25 (SD 2.75) years. Overall, 61.4% (n=1600) of the participants were aware of PrEP, and 53.0% (n=1380) of them were aware of PEP. Moreover, 5.6% (n=146) of them have sought PrEP or/and PEP, and 89.1% (n=2321) have not sought PrEP or PEP. College students who had more than 6 sexual partners, have always had unprotected sex, have subjective perceived risk behavior, and undergo HIV testing were more likely to seek PrEP or/and PEP. The main ways for the participants to learn PrEP and PEP were through school clubs, the internet, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Moreover, senior students and those who had not undergone an HIV test had a lower likelihood of seeking PrEP and PEP. College students who did not have risky sexual behaviors (odds ratio 0.468, P=.004) and homosexual students (odds ratio 0.318, P=.03) were more likely not to seek PEP.ConclusionsCollege students with sexual experiences rarely seek PrEP and PEP, with a relatively low awareness of PrEP and PEP. It is very important to increase the knowledge and uptake of PrEP and PEP by educational and behavioral interventions among young students at risk for HIV infection.

Project description:BackgroundIn 2017, the hashtags #MeToo and #MeTooMedicine went viral and raised awareness of sexual harassment (SH) and sexual violence affecting all ages, genders, races, sexualities, and careers. Most studies investigating SH have found that women report higher rates of SH experiences compared to men, with documented incidences reaching as high as 81%. Notably, 47% of these incidents go unreported. A study from the Association of Anesthesiologists found that female victims of sexual assault often do not speak up due to the myth that harassment is rare, which further silences women and stigmatizes this issue, leading them to be discouraged from participating in academic anesthesia. Due to the outdated data examining the incidence of SH in the field of anesthesiology, an anonymous 20 item survey was administered to physician attendings and trainees to assess the incidence of SH perceiving SH within the field.MethodsAn anonymous questionnaire-based cross-sectional study, adapted from a validated survey tool on SH and burnout, was administered to a sample of registered members of the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) to evaluate physicians' perceptions related to SH and burnout in their workplace.ResultsThe email survey was sent to 30,765 registered ASA members; a total of 2,830 (9.2%) members responded to the 20-item survey for this quantitative analysis. 53.4% (n = 1,511) and 44.2% (n = 1,251) identified themselves as men and women, respectively. Among all the respondents, 57.6% perceived some form of SH (75.5% women and 44.2% men, p-value:<0.0001). Around 40.1% of respondents indicated that they did not react to or report SH events, with a significantly higher incidence among women when compared to men (46.3% vs. 35.5%; p-value:<0.0001). Respondents who perceived SH were more likely to agree with the 5-point Likert-scale questions related to experiencing burnout, facing declining job opportunities or leaving a job, and becoming more emotionally detached from others.ConclusionSH has been reported by both male and female anesthesiologists, with female physicians perceiving significantly higher rates of SH compared to their male counterparts. Most respondents who experienced SH in their workplaces expressed agreement with statements related to "burnout feelings" and/or "declining a job opportunity or leaving the workplace." This study contributes to the current literature that SH is prevalent within the field of anesthesiology. Furthermore, our study demonstrates that SH has a positive correlation to feelings of burnout. This study demonstrates the critical importance of instituting policies regarding reporting SH events. Additionally, implementing bystander training can empower individuals to report witnessed SH events. Lastly, safeguards should be implemented to protect those who report witnessing or experiencing SH events.

Dataset Information

Students' experiences of sexual harassment; a descriptive cross-sectional study in a college of education, Ghana.

Introduction

Methods

Results

Conclusion

Publications

Students' experiences of sexual harassment; a descriptive cross-sectional study in a college of education, Ghana.

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