Title:
THE INFLUENCE OF PERPETRATOR IDENTITY ON ADOLESCENT SCHOOLGIRLS’ SEXUAL HARASSMENT COPING STRATEGIES IN MBULU TOWN COUNCIL, MANYARA REGION

Authors:
George Abuya Ladislaus, Sarah Vincent Chiwamba and Rwegasha Peter Ishemo

Abstract:
The widespread reports of school adolescents being victimized by sexual harassment have raised concerns towards understanding how adolescents cope with such incidents. This study assessed the influence of perpetrator identity on the likelihood of schoolgirls employing certain sexual harassment coping strategies. A quantitative cross-sectional descriptive design was utilized in this study. The target population constituted of adolescent ordinary level secondary schoolgirls in Mbulu Town Council and the sample size was 400 girls. The data were collected using a standardized questionnaire and analyzed by binary logistic regression through the use of statistical package for social science software (SPSS). The perpetrator identity “senior students” revealed an association with normalization coping strategy whereas “strangers” revealed an association with engagement coping strategy. The identities “classmates” “senior students” “strangers” and “teachers” revealed an association with detachment coping strategy while “non-teaching staff” was associated with help seeking coping strategy. It is recommended that adolescents should be provided with comprehensive sexuality education so as to mitigate the tendency of normalizing harassment in peer relationships. Moreover, further interventions should focus on emphasizing the usage of help seeking strategy rather than detachment. Lastly, boarding schools could be a potential solution for preventing encounters with strangers to and from school.

Keywords:
Sexual harassment, coping strategies, perpetrator identity, adolescent schoolgirls

DOI:
https://doi.org/10.37500/IJESSR.2024.7201

Date of Publication: 14-03-2024