In this report, we shed light on the under-profiled and deeply troubling phenomena of school-base... more In this report, we shed light on the under-profiled and deeply troubling phenomena of school-based sexual violence in Ghana (SBSV). School-based sexual violence refers to forced or unwanted sexual activities that may take place during a youth’s schooling years. This can include unwanted touching or rape on the part of school authorities and/or peers; however, it also includes a much broader and complicated series of incidents that may take place on account of a youth’s schooling, or may impact a youth’s schooling in some way.
This report – based on a national, mobile-based survey of 3,671 Ghanaians – reveals that a disturbingly high number of youth are exposed to school-based sexual violence: 56% (N=1086) of female respondents and 37% (N=633) of male respondents indicated having experienced sexual violence, and the overwhelming majority of these cases were reported to have occurred while respondents were completing various levels of schooling (92% and 91% of all reported cases of sexual violence for females and males, respectively).1 In over half of these cases (51% and 61% of female and male reported cases, respectively), respondents indicated having experienced multiple incidents of sexual violence.
Moreover, the majority of instances of sexual violence appear to have taken place in disturbingly early levels of schooling: over half of all reported cases of SBSV (57%) occurred while youth were in primary or in junior high school. 9% of all total female respondents and 3% of all total male respondents reported experiencing sexual violence at the hands of a teacher or principal: shockingly, this suggests that, on average, one out of every 11.5 girls and one out of every 30 boys in Ghana will experience sexual violence at the hands of a school authority figure.
These survey results also point to substantial barriers survivors of sexual violence face in seeking support and/or justice: 63% of respondents indicated that they had never reported their experience of sexual violence to anyone, primarily because of feeling too ashamed (42%) or because of fearing punishment (23%).
Further, for those who did report, the degree of support that they received appears limited: respondents who reported indicated that the perpetrator was punished in only 25% of cases; in 15% of cases, respondents themselves were punished for having reported their experience.
In this report, we shed light on the under-profiled and deeply troubling phenomena of school-base... more In this report, we shed light on the under-profiled and deeply troubling phenomena of school-based sexual violence in Ghana (SBSV). School-based sexual violence refers to forced or unwanted sexual activities that may take place during a youth’s schooling years. This can include unwanted touching or rape on the part of school authorities and/or peers; however, it also includes a much broader and complicated series of incidents that may take place on account of a youth’s schooling, or may impact a youth’s schooling in some way.
This report – based on a national, mobile-based survey of 3,671 Ghanaians – reveals that a disturbingly high number of youth are exposed to school-based sexual violence: 56% (N=1086) of female respondents and 37% (N=633) of male respondents indicated having experienced sexual violence, and the overwhelming majority of these cases were reported to have occurred while respondents were completing various levels of schooling (92% and 91% of all reported cases of sexual violence for females and males, respectively).1 In over half of these cases (51% and 61% of female and male reported cases, respectively), respondents indicated having experienced multiple incidents of sexual violence.
Moreover, the majority of instances of sexual violence appear to have taken place in disturbingly early levels of schooling: over half of all reported cases of SBSV (57%) occurred while youth were in primary or in junior high school. 9% of all total female respondents and 3% of all total male respondents reported experiencing sexual violence at the hands of a teacher or principal: shockingly, this suggests that, on average, one out of every 11.5 girls and one out of every 30 boys in Ghana will experience sexual violence at the hands of a school authority figure.
These survey results also point to substantial barriers survivors of sexual violence face in seeking support and/or justice: 63% of respondents indicated that they had never reported their experience of sexual violence to anyone, primarily because of feeling too ashamed (42%) or because of fearing punishment (23%).
Further, for those who did report, the degree of support that they received appears limited: respondents who reported indicated that the perpetrator was punished in only 25% of cases; in 15% of cases, respondents themselves were punished for having reported their experience.
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refers to forced or unwanted sexual activities that may take place during a youth’s schooling years. This can include unwanted touching or rape on the part of school
authorities and/or peers; however, it also includes a much broader and complicated series of incidents that may take place on account of a youth’s schooling, or may impact a youth’s schooling in some way.
This report – based on a national, mobile-based survey of 3,671 Ghanaians – reveals that a disturbingly high number of youth are exposed to school-based sexual violence: 56% (N=1086) of female respondents and 37% (N=633) of male
respondents indicated having experienced sexual violence, and the overwhelming majority of these cases were reported to have occurred while respondents were
completing various levels of schooling (92% and 91% of all reported cases of sexual violence for females and males, respectively).1 In over half of these cases
(51% and 61% of female and male reported cases, respectively), respondents indicated having experienced multiple incidents of sexual violence.
Moreover, the majority of instances of sexual violence appear to have taken place in disturbingly early levels of schooling: over half of all reported cases of SBSV (57%)
occurred while youth were in primary or in junior high school. 9% of all total female respondents and 3% of all total male respondents reported experiencing sexual violence at the hands of a teacher or principal: shockingly, this suggests that, on average, one out of every 11.5 girls and one out of every 30 boys in Ghana will experience sexual violence at the hands of a school authority figure.
These survey results also point to substantial barriers survivors of sexual violence face in seeking support and/or justice: 63% of respondents indicated that they had never reported their experience of sexual violence to anyone, primarily because of feeling too ashamed (42%) or because of fearing punishment (23%).
Further, for those who did report, the degree of support that they received appears limited: respondents who reported indicated that the perpetrator was punished in only 25% of cases; in 15% of cases, respondents themselves were punished for having reported their experience.
refers to forced or unwanted sexual activities that may take place during a youth’s schooling years. This can include unwanted touching or rape on the part of school
authorities and/or peers; however, it also includes a much broader and complicated series of incidents that may take place on account of a youth’s schooling, or may impact a youth’s schooling in some way.
This report – based on a national, mobile-based survey of 3,671 Ghanaians – reveals that a disturbingly high number of youth are exposed to school-based sexual violence: 56% (N=1086) of female respondents and 37% (N=633) of male
respondents indicated having experienced sexual violence, and the overwhelming majority of these cases were reported to have occurred while respondents were
completing various levels of schooling (92% and 91% of all reported cases of sexual violence for females and males, respectively).1 In over half of these cases
(51% and 61% of female and male reported cases, respectively), respondents indicated having experienced multiple incidents of sexual violence.
Moreover, the majority of instances of sexual violence appear to have taken place in disturbingly early levels of schooling: over half of all reported cases of SBSV (57%)
occurred while youth were in primary or in junior high school. 9% of all total female respondents and 3% of all total male respondents reported experiencing sexual violence at the hands of a teacher or principal: shockingly, this suggests that, on average, one out of every 11.5 girls and one out of every 30 boys in Ghana will experience sexual violence at the hands of a school authority figure.
These survey results also point to substantial barriers survivors of sexual violence face in seeking support and/or justice: 63% of respondents indicated that they had never reported their experience of sexual violence to anyone, primarily because of feeling too ashamed (42%) or because of fearing punishment (23%).
Further, for those who did report, the degree of support that they received appears limited: respondents who reported indicated that the perpetrator was punished in only 25% of cases; in 15% of cases, respondents themselves were punished for having reported their experience.