Sexual harassment: perceptions and coping strategies among undergraduate students in Nigeria

Abstract

English: This article reports on an investigation into the sexual harassment (SH) experiences, coping strategies and educational outcomes of undergraduate students from the University of Agriculture in south-western Nigeria. Questionnaires were administered to 290 undergraduate students. Female students were found to be the main targets of harassment and male students the typical perpetrators. Students perceived sexual propositions and dating propositions accompanied by threats as constituting severe forms of SH. There was no association between sexual harassment and students’ satisfaction with the institution but the targets of harassment had a lower academic performance than non-harassed students.

Afrikaans: Hierdie artikel doen verslag oor ’n ondersoek na ondervindings van seksuele teistering (ST), hanteringstrategieë en opvoedkundige uitkomste van voorgraadse studente van die Suid-Wes Nigeriese Landbou Universiteit. Vraelyste is aan 290 voorgraadse studente uitgedeel. Daar is bevind dat die hoofteikens van teistering vroulike studente is, en die tipiese skuldiges manlike studente is. Studente het seksuele voorstelle en afsprake waar dreigemente ’n rol speel as uiterste vorme van ST beskou. Daar was geen verband tussen seksuele teistering en studente se tevredenheid met die instansie nie, maar die akademiese prestasies van teikens van seksuele teistering was laer as dié van nie-geteisterde studente.