The voice of male citizens: why do men sexually abuse young girls? a study of men in Ibadan City in Oyo State, Nigeria.
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Date
2019
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Abstract
Sexual abuse of young girls remains a prominent international concern. This pandemic abuse
is a major problem that affects young girls and females throughout Africa. Nigeria is among the
countries affected by the prevalence of sexual abuse with high reports of incidents of the sexual
abuse of young girls which has become a regular fixture in the Nigerian media. Numerous
studies have been done on sexual abuse; however, this study presents men’s perceptions and
opinions about the reasons why men sexually abuse young girls. This study presents findings
from research conducted in the Ibadan community in Oyo State, Nigeria. Based on a qualitative
research method, the essential objective of this study is to explore men’s perception towards
what they think makes men sexually abuse young girls. Hence this study does not look at the
perpetrators or victims of sexual abuse but rather it seeks men’s opinions in order to understand
the causes of sexual abuse perpetrated by men.
The in-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with twenty members of the Ibadan
north-east local government community. With the ethical clearance approval, the interviews
were conducted in the period of December 2018 to January 2019. The research is positioned
towards a feminist critical argument therefore the aim of the investigation is to understand why
men sexually abuse young girls. The study explores the authentic views of the Ibadan northeast’s
community as there is limited scholarly literature on men’s opinions on the sexual abuse
of young girls. Critical questions are asked such as men’s perceptions towards sexual abuse and
what men think should happen to the perpetrators. This study provides the opportunity to listen
to men’s voices on why men sexually abuse young girls. The data were thematically analysed
and discussed.
Results indicate that there is an overall knowledge of sexual abuse, from the sample of
interviewees, majority of whom are patriarchal in nature. Also, from the findings there was a
stereotyping of female dressing by the participants which was linked to the cause of sexual
abuse, participants also expressed their judgmental actions on the perpetrators of sexual abuse
by killing the offenders. Therefore, opinions and views are shared in the recommendations.
Necessary campaigns and awareness on sexual abuse should be carried out to address the issue
of sexual abuse, likewise to inform the law enforcement agencies on how to handle and give
necessary attention to reports of sexual abuse.
Description
Masters Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban.