Sexual abuse in primary and secondary schools

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Sexual abuse in primary and secondary schools also referred to as molestation, is an abusive sexual behavior by one person upon another. It is often perpetrated using force or by taking advantage of another especially in people who are underaged and concerns child sexual abuse, occurring in educational institutions from kindergarten through secondary education.[1]

Phenomenon

A 1993 study performed by the American Association of University Women examined seventy-nine state schools in the United States and found that 9.6% of students reported sexual abuse by teachers in the school setting.[2]

The victims of school sexual abuse are often "vulnerable or marginal students".[3]

By country

France

In April 2015, education official Najat Vallaud-Belkacem admitted that "16 teachers were allowed to work in schools last year despite holding previous convictions for paedophilia."[4] An international NGO claimed that "Thousands of children in French schools have been sexually abused by paedophile teachers".[4] In the same year, twenty-seven staff members in primary and secondary schools were fired for sexual abuse.[5]

India

In March 2000, a cross-sectional study of students in the 11th grade of eight higher secondary schools in Goa found that "Coercive sex had been experienced by approximately 6% of adolescents."[6] The pupils affected by this experienced higher rates of substance abuse, poorer academic performance, as well as poor mental and physical health.[6]

United Kingdom

In the interviews conducted by the government in the schools in United Kingdom showed that 90% of girls, and nearly 50% of boys, said being sent explicit pictures or videos of things they did not want to see happen a lot or sometimes to them or their peers. Children and young people told us that sexual harassment occurs so frequently that it has become ‘commonplace’. For example, 92% of girls, and 74% of boys, said sexist name-calling happens a lot or sometimes to them or their peers. The frequency of these harmful sexual behaviours means that some children and young people consider them normal.[7] In The New York Times, Stephen Castle documented:[8]

The very nature of boarding schools — closed environments in which teachers can wield enormous power — can make them attractive to child abusers. But in previous decades, parents were often reluctant to challenge teachers’ authority, said Alan Collins, principal lawyer at Slater & Gordon, which represented the former Aldwickbury student. He has 30 to 40 more cases pending against schools across the country.[8]

Since 2012, "425 people have been accused of carrying out sexual attacks at UK boarding schools".[9]

United States

Further information: Sexual harassment in education in the United States

In the United States, "roughly 290,000 students experienced some sort of physical sexual abuse by a public school employee from 1991 to 2000—a single decade, compared with the roughly five-decade period examined in the study of Catholic priests."[1]

A federal report estimated that in the state of California, "422,000 California public-school students would be victims before graduation".[10]

The United States Department of Education withheld US$4 million from Chicago Public Schools "for what federal officials say is a failure to protect students from sexual abuse."[11]

Zimbabwe

In Zimbabwe, a 2001 study found that 70% of the time, Sexual intercourse through physical abuse was present by teacher perpetrators in primary schools, with 98% of the victims being females.[12]

This study investigated the prevalence of child sexual abuse among day secondary school pupils in Gweru, Zimbabwe. The sample comprised 268 secondary pupils (50% female; mean age=15.42, standard deviation=1.376). Data were collected by administering the Child Abuse Screening Tool Children's Version (ICAST-C). The study found an overall prevalence rate of 56.3%, with no significant gender differences. Both non-contact and contact forms of sexual abuse were prevalent.

Nigeria

In May 2020, a cross sectional study was carried out amongst male students in secondary schools across Ibadan, Nigeria. It was reported in the study that about 18.9% of the lot was forced to watch pornographic contents, 8.1% were touched or mishandled sexually and about 54.1% were raped.[13]

The Federal Capital Territory Administration in July 2019, dismissed 2 male teachers of a secondary school for allegedly molesting some visually impaired female students at Jabi, Abuja.[14] It was reported that they would drug the students and lure them to hotels and carry out such deeds.[15]

The Nigeria Journal of pediatrics also recorded that, of 1558 students that were examined, the proportion of females and males that were sexually assaulted in a secondary school in Obio/ Akpor LGA at Rivers state were 47.4% and 24.9% respectively.[16]

Prevention

Primary prevention has been identified as a priority in challenging sexual violence, but there is a lack of understanding around what primary prevention is and is not. Although increasing knowledge or awareness of sexual assault may be a feature of primary prevention, it is not a sufficient outcome. Primary prevention must also change behaviours. Some work has been done on identifying the elements required for effective primary prevention. These include comprehensiveness, community engagement, theory-driven programming, contextualised programming, and evaluation.[17]

By 1988, prevention programs and materials with regard to school sexual abuse came into vogue.[18] Problems associated with these, however, include "emphasizing a simple solution to a complex social problem and contributing to victim blaming."[18]

Despite the prevalence of these prevention programs and materials, multiple studies have demonstrated that "teachers use programs spasmodically and selectively, omitting the essential concepts relating to children's rights".[19]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Hendrie, Caroline (10 March 2004). "Sexual Abuse by Educators Is Scrutinized". Education Week.
  2. ^ Crosson-Tower, Cynthia (2014). Confronting Child and Adolescent Sexual Abuse. SAGE Publications. p. 166. ISBN 9781483359267.
  3. ^ Hazelwood, Robert R.; Burgess, Ann Wolbert (2016). Practical Aspects of Rape Investigation: A Multidisciplinary Approach, Fifth Edition. CRC Press. ISBN 9781315316345.
  4. ^ a b Capon, Felicity (8 April 2015). "National Scandal Over Major Child Abuse Cover-Up in French Schools". Newsweek.
  5. ^ "French education minister says 27 school staff fired for child sex abuse". France 24. 16 March 2016.
  6. ^ a b Vikram Patel, Gracy Andrew (2001). "Gender, sexual abuse and risk behaviours in adolescents: A cross-sectional survey in schools in Goa". The National Medical Journal of India. 14 (5): 263–267. CiteSeerX 10.1.1.467.6130. PMID 11767217.
  7. ^ "Review of sexual abuse in schools and colleges".
  8. ^ a b Castle, Stephen (16 March 2014). "Wave of Sexual Abuse Allegations for Private Boys' Schools in Britain". The New York Times.
  9. ^ Renton, Alex (19 February 2018). "Shocking scale of sexual abuse at UK boarding schools revealed by ITV documentary". ITV News.
  10. ^ Profita, Hillary (24 August 2006). "Has Media Ignored Sex Abuse In School?". CBS.
  11. ^ Ingber, Sasha (28 September 2018). "Chicago Schools Lose Millions For Allegedly Not Shielding Students From Sexual Abuse". NPR.
  12. ^ Tichatonga J Nhundu, AlmonShumba (2001). "The nature and frequency of reported cases of teacher perpetrated child sexual abuse in rural primary schools in Zimbabwe". Child Abuse & Neglect. 25 (11): 1517–1534. doi:10.1016/S0145-2134(01)00288-5. PMID 11766014.
  13. ^ Afolabi, Aanuoluwapo A; Ilesanmi, Olayinka S; Adebayo, Ayodeji M (2022-02-16). "Prevalence and Pattern of Internet Addiction Among Adolescents in Ibadan, Nigeria: A Cross-Sectional Study". Cureus. 14 (2): e22293. doi:10.7759/cureus.22293. ISSN 2168-8184. PMC 8933260. PMID 35350489.
  14. ^ "FCTA suspends two teachers for molesting blind students". Punch Newspapers. 2019-07-18. Retrieved 2022-07-02.
  15. ^ "Taming menace of sexual abuse in schools". The Guardian Nigeria News - Nigeria and World News. 2021-11-11. Retrieved 2022-07-02.
  16. ^ Gabriel–Job, N.; Alikor, E. a. D.; Akani, N. A. (2019). "Prevalence of child sexual abuse among secondary school adolescents in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State, Nigeria". Nigerian Journal of Paediatrics. 46 (4): 156–162–156–162. doi:10.4314/njp.v46i4 (inactive 31 January 2024). ISSN 0302-4660.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: DOI inactive as of January 2024 (link)
  17. ^ Quadara, Antonia; Wall, Liz (2012). "What is effective primary prevention in sexual assault? Translating the evidence for action" (PDF). Australian Centre for the Study of Sexual Assault. Retrieved 24 March 2022. Text was copied from this source, which is available under a Attribution 3.0 Australia (CC BY 3.0 AU) license.
  18. ^ a b Trudell, Bonnie; Whatley, Mariamne H. (January 1988). "School sexual abuse prevention: Unintended consequences and dilemmas". Child Abuse & Neglect. 12 (1): 103–113. doi:10.1016/0145-2134(88)90012-9. PMID 3365575.
  19. ^ Briggs, Freda; McVeity, Michael (2000). Teaching Children to Protect Themselves. Allen & Unwin. p. 2. ISBN 9781741154214.

External links

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