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Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal – Vol.7, No.7
Publication Date: July 25, 2020
DOI:10.14738/assrj.77.8726.
Olusegun, G. F. (2020). Impact of Poverty and Religion on Sexual Coercion experienced by University Female Students. Advances in
Social Sciences Research Journal, 7(7) 852-858.
Impact of Poverty and Religion on Sexual Coercion experienced by
University Female Students
Dr. Grace Funmilayo Olusegun
(Ph.D), Department of Guidance and Counselling,
Faculty of Education, Ekiti State University, Ado Ekiti, Nigeria
ABSTRACT
The study investigated the impact of religion and poverty on sexual
coercion experienced among University female students in Nigeria
Universities. The descriptive design of the survey type was employed for
the study. The sample consisted of 1,200 sexually coerced female
students, selected from nine universities drawn from South West using
purposive sampling technique, simple random and stratified random
sampling techniques. An instrument titled ‘Sexual Coercion
Questionnaire’ was used. Test re-test method was used to establish the
reliability of the instrument. The reliability coefficient of 0.75 was
obtained. Analysis of Variance and t-test were used to test the
hypotheses generated at 0.05 level of significance. It was revealed that
sexual coercion experienced by female university students will depend
on the type of religion practiced. It was also found that perpetrators will
sexually coerce female students irrespective of their financial status. It
was therefore recommended that the intensity of religious activities
must be increased in Nigerian universities. More so, Professional
Counselors should team up with the University administrators to fight
sexual coercive behaviours among University Students and that anyone
found guilty of sexual coercion should be punished.
Keywords: Poverty, Religion, Coercive Acts, University, Female, Students.
INTRODUCTION
The different form of sexual coercion is on increase, it has become a serious societal problem in
Nigeria societies. It is commonly transpired among university students regardless of their gender
or status particularly females. Practicing a religion and poverty has been ascribed to the
occurrences and the wicked and selfish sexual acts aimed at exercising power and dominion over
the victim has been triggering lots of damages in the life of female university students that could
result to psychological shock, blackmail and intimidations which could destroy their ambition.
Fasting (2005), defined sexual coercion as any form of sexual behaviour or suggestion, in verbal,
non-verbal or physical forms, whether deliberate or not, which is viewed by the person
experiencing it as undesired or forced. Sexual coercion takes the form of forcible sexual actions and
other sexual activities by threat of punishment such as award of poor examination grades,
withholding examination grades and threat of failure as opined by Bello (2005). According to Guild
(2009), he viewed that sexual coercion is categorized as the use of menacing verbal pressure or
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abuse of authority that includes a range of sexual coercive behaviours such as undesirable touch of
parts of the body such as breast and backside, beating the buttocks, scratching or parting of one’s
back or grabbing the waist ,unwelcome sexual arousal, undesirable embracing, annoying sexual
comment, uninvited sexual jokes, unwelcome gestures, fondling, stalking, sexy talks, forced
contacts, attempt by someone to force someone to have sex, tricked into having sex, rape (forced
penetration).
Sexual coercion is a vital public health issue due to its undesirable association with social and health
outcome. It has been perceived to be one of the social problems in Nigerian societies, mainly among
universities students that pose inspiring questions on student’s moral level and degrading the moral
fabric of this country. The level of occurrence of sexual violence continues to be at the increase daily
without check cutting across every female student regardless of their age and class level. The
regular occurrence of sexual coercion is the acute damage done to the victims physically, socially,
emotionally, and psychologically. It encompasses fear, pains, anxiety, worries, depression, and
academic helplessness. Sexual coercion among University female students has now become a matter
of concern to guidance counsellors.
In Olusegun perception (2010), sexual coercion is an offense against human sexual rights that
affects the lives of many females either directly or indirectly at some point in their lives. Tyaden and
Thoennes (2000) indicate that one out of six females in the general population will experience
attempted or complete sexual assault in their lifetime. According to Koss, Gidycs and Wisniewski
(2000), the number of affected females sometimes increases to one in four when bearing in mind
the populace of campus females. World Health Organization define sexual coercion as any sexual
act, effort to obtain a sexual deeds, unwelcome sexual comments or advances, or acts to traffic, or if
not directed against a person’s sexuality using coercion by any person irrespective of their
relationship to the victim in any situation. Sexual activity is devoted to the institution of marriage
in human being and it is a common expression of married life and a means towards growth in
personal life, it is not meant to be used as instrument of punishment. In fact, the nonappearance of
sexual activities in a marriage could find no moral justification. Consequently, any procedure of
sexual activity without shared agreement is coercive. The fact remains that sexual coercion is an
unwelcome sexual practice usually directed to females against their violation living them with
agonizing and memorable consequences.
Moronkola and Odu (1999), described poverty is the lack of crucial and basic needs like food, clothe,
school fees and money for the up-keeping by female students which enticed them into situations
that increase sexual coercion. As reported by Omorodion and Olusanya (2008), that poverty forces
many students into circumstances that carry a relatively high risk of sexual coercion. As Faun
(2007) supported Omorodion and Olusanya (2008) view that poverty creates huge pressure on
female students when they find it difficult to get their basic needs, money to buy textbooks,
handouts, levels in class, dresses and money for vital things that will be useful in the course of their
study. Hence, to achieve good grades will be difficult, all of which render them vulnerable to sexual
coercion from those who can promise these things. Omale (2000) opined that poor female students
are also at danger of intimate partner violence, of which sexual coercion is often a manifestation.
An essential ingredient of man’s life is religion. Lavinger, Miller and Lavinger (2008) made it clear
that religion is an essential ingredient of man’s life. It was declared that religion is a delicate issue
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URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.14738/assrj.77.8726 854
Olusegun, G. F. (2020). Impact of Poverty and Religion on Sexual Coercion experienced by University Female Students. Advances in Social Sciences Research
Journal, 7(7) 852-858.
Communication Partner On Uptake Of Voluntary Medical Male Circumcision Among Married Men In Kenya: An Evaluation Study Of Information Source
Attributes and there are diverse beliefs by various religious bodies. Yahaya (1991) presents the position of . Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal, 7(7) 825-842.
Islam on sexual coercion. He believed that the body of people are well versed in both western and
Islamic education and therefore encourage better understanding of the Koran’s ruling and teaching
of Prophet Mohammed which strictly go against sexual coercion. To them, sexual activities are
suitable only within marriage with consent. Conferring to the Holy Bible, standard sexual activities
are permitted; rather, it is an essential ingredient of marriage.
Sexual practices such as sexual coercion, sexual harassment, sexual violence, premarital sex,
extramarital sex, flirting, masturbation, promiscuity and various forms of sexual activities without
consent is counter to religion. If University students could familiarize to religion ethics, sexual
coercion might be eliminated. Reports from Manduro (1989) shown that Nigeria society is
dominated by two types of religions; Christianity and Islam. They are the key source of Nigerian
religious value systems, which upset sexual attitudes and behaviour. Christianity for instance,
expects men and women to hold in high esteem the religious value of sexual purity. Girls are
expected to be virgins at the period of marriage. Islam allows female children to be given in marriage
before the age of puberty. These practices ensure that the female child is a virgin at marriage. All
these analogy emphasize that sexual coercion is intolerable. Owuamanam (1995), stressed that
religion is one of the key factors that had helped tradition to preserve sex in Africa closely related
with procreation. As at today, religion have been created to produce inhibiting result on youth
sexual behaviour, the more religious youths are, the less likely they are to engage in most
undesirable sexual activities.
Kensly (1990) evidently revealed that religion has socially significant consequences and can make
a difference in the social orientations of University students and who also established the fact that
moral reasoning influences a persons’ lifestyle, choice of career and the type of sexual attitudes one
might exhibit. The strength of sexual coercion in any University may depend on the discipline, moral
and religious standard of the students. It appears as if Islamic and Christian religion will have impact
on sexual coercion experienced by female students because it seems that students from religious
parentages were skilled to run away from sexual activities that are not consensual. While, Galadima
(2006) opined that when students get to university environment, they tend to be inspired by a
couple of issues such as peer influence and what is happening in their environment.
Sexual practices such as sexual coercion, sexual harassment, sexual violence, premarital sex,
extramarital sex, flirting, masturbation, promiscuity and various forms of sexual activities without
agreement is against religion. If students in the university could adapt to religion ethics, sexual
coercion might be eliminated. Religion is one of the factors that determine the vulnerability of
female students to sexual coercion as asserted by Clark (1988). He detected that psychologists had
seen religion to have a very progressive effect on University students’ sexual problems. Religion, he
said releases University students especially females from unnecessary sense of sin by admonishing
them with the fact that other people might be watching them in their act of sexual immoralities and
confusing them from involving with sexual activities by supplying them with the sense of purpose.
As found in Ajuwon, Olaleye, Banji Faromoju and Ladipo (2006) study of sexual behaviour and
experiences of sexual coercion among students in three states in Northern Nigeria that Christians
and Muslims were less likely to experience sexual coercion than students who belonged to other
traditional religion. Although Brucker and Bearman do not believe that religion has any important
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influence in the sexual coercion of University students. It was detected by this researcher that there
are some students with Christian teaching, yet, they displayed sexual coercive behaviour. But, it
appears that larger percentage of those from Christian homes refrained from sexual coercive acts.
Based on the foregoing, the study examined impact of poverty and religion on sexual coercion
experienced by university female students. The study specifically examined:
i. if religion differentiate university female students in their experience of sexual coercion; and
ii. if financial status differentiate university female students in their experience of sexual
coercion
Research Hypotheses
The following null hypotheses were postulated for this study
1. Religion will not significantly differentiate university female students in their experience of
sexual coercion.
2. Financial status will not significantly differentiate university female students in their
experience of sexual coercion
METHODOLOGY
The study employed the descriptive research of the survey type which was considered appropriate
because it focused on existing characteristics of a particular group in order to satisfy the curiosity
and the desire for better understanding of the impact of poverty and religion on sexual coercion
experienced by University female students The population for this study consisted of all University
female students, in the various Federal, State and Privately owned Universities in the South-West,
Nigeria. The sample consisted of 1,200 University female students selected from nine Universities
drawn from the South West using multistage sampling technique. A research instrument titled
‘Sexual Coercion Questionnaire (SCQ)’ was used. Test re-test method was used to establish the
reliability of the instrument. The reliability coefficient of 0.75 was obtained. The administration of
the instrument was done by the principal investigator and assisted by some research assistants. The
hypotheses generated were analyzed using Analysis of Variance and t-test. All hypotheses were
tested at 0.05 level of significance.
HYPOTHESES TESTING
Hypothesis 1
Religion will not significantly differentiate university female students in their experience of sexual
coercion
Mean scores of female undergraduates on the basis of their religious affiliation on sexual coercion
were compared for statistical significance using One-Way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) at 0.05
level of significance. The result is presented in Table 1.
Table 1: One-way ANOVA Summary of Religion and Experience of Sexual Coercion by Female
Undergraduates
Source SS df MS F-cal F-table
Between groups 6473.693 3 2157.898
6.25 2.60 Within groups 412641.7 1196 345.018
Total 419115.4 1199
*P< 0.05
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URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.14738/assrj.77.8726 856
Olusegun, G. F. (2020). Impact of Poverty and Religion on Sexual Coercion experienced by University Female Students. Advances in Social Sciences Research
Journal, 7(7) 852-858.
Communication Partner On Uptake Of Voluntary Medical Male Circumcision Among Married Men In Kenya: An Evaluation Study Of Information Source
Attributes Table 1 reveals that F . Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal, 7(7) 825-842. -cal is 6.25 and F-table is 2.60. F-cal (6.25) is greater than F-table (2.60) at
0.05 level of significance. Hence, the null hypothesis is rejected. Therefore, religion significantly
differentiated university female students in their experience of sexual coercion. This implies that
the sexual coercion experienced by female students will depend on the type of religion practiced.
In order to locate the pairs of groups that are significantly different at 0.05 level of significance,
Scheffe Post-hoc Analysis was used. The result is presented in Table 2.
Table 2: Scheffe Post-Hoc Analysis of Religion and Female Undergraduates’ Experience of Sexual
Coercion
Religion Christianity Islam Traditional Others Mean
Christianity * 24.45
Islam * 21.68
Traditional * 28.83
Others 56.25
*P <0.05
Table 2 shows that there is significant difference between sexual coercion of Christians and other
religion. Also, the mean difference of Islam and others, traditional and others is statistically
significant at 0.05 level of significance in each case.
Hypothesis 2
Financial status will not significantly differentiate university female students in their experience of
sexual coercion
Table 3: t-test Summary of Sexual Coercion of University Females’ with and without Financial
Support
Group N Mean SD df t-cal t-tab
With financial support 1053 24.30 18.90
Without financial support 147 23.50 17.20 1198 0.49 1.96
*P> 0.05
Table 3 shows that t-cal is 0.491 and t-tab is 1.96. t-cal (0.491) is lesser than t-tab (1.96) at 0.05
level of significance. Hence, the null hypothesis is accepted. Therefore, the financial status of female
students will not significantly differentiate their experience of sexual coercion. This shows that
perpetrators will sexually coerce female students irrespective of their financial status.
DISCUSSION
As revealed in this study, religious standard of female students could enhance sexual coercion. This
study was in support of the findings of Clark (1988). He asserts that religion is one of the
determinants of female students’ vulnerability to sexual coercion. Likewise, Kinsley (1990) noted
that moral reasoning influences a person’s lifestyle.
The result of this study reveals that the financial status of female students will not significantly
differentiate sexual coercion. The result of this study negate the report of Fan (2007) who believed
that financial instability of female students could render them vulnerable to the risk of sexual
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coercion. Female students could be sexually coerced by anyone in the University community
irrespective of their financial status.
The limitation of this study is the fear of shame and guilt and fear of additional violence on the part
of the respondents, in case their response is revealed so as not to be stigmatized. Although, the
researcher was able to convince the respondents, and their emotion did not affect the result of the
study.
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Based on the findings of this study, it was concluded that religion of the female students could
enhance their experience of sexual coercion if the intensity of religious activities is not boosted. It
was also concluded from the study that University female students could experience sexual coercion
irrespective of their financial status.
Based on the findings of this study, it is recommended that the intensity of religious activities must
be increased in Nigerian universities. More so, Professional Counselors should team up with the
University administrators to fight sexual coercive behaviour among University Students and that
anyone found guilty of sexual coercion should be punished
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Journal, 7(7) 852-858.
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