Relationship Between Sexual Harassment and Academic Performance of Senior Secondary Schools Students in Niger South Senatorial District, Niger State, Nigeria

Abstract

The study investigated the relationship between Sexual Harassment and Academic Performance of Senior Secondary Schools Students in Niger South Senatorial District, Niger State, Nigeria. Correlation research design was used for the study. Two research objectives, research questions and hypotheses were used for this study. The population was 47,813 and a sample of 380 was used for the study. Multistage sampling procedure was used to compose the sample. Two research questions were answered while two hypotheses were tested in the study at 0.05 level of significance. Two instruments were used to collect data- Students’ Sexual Harassment Questionnaire (SSHQ) and Academic Performance Questionnaire (APQ). SSHQ was made up of 10 items on verbal and physical sexual harassment while APQ contained 20 items on academic performance. Pearson Product Moment Correlation was used to answer the research questions on the basis of the values of r (coefficient of correlation) and also test the hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance by comparing the p-value (probability values). The finding from the study shows that there is a significant negative relationship between verbal sexual harassment and academic performance of senior secondary schools’ students. It also revealed that there is a significant negative relationship between physical sexual harassment and academic performance of senior secondary schools’ students in Niger South Senatorial District, Niger State, Nigeria. It was recommended among others- that school administrators and teachers should establish clear anti-harassment policies and awareness campaigns to discourage verbal sexual harassment in schools. The study concluded that verbal and physical sexual harassment hinders students’ academic performance.