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Background: Sexual
violence is pervasive at every stage of women life cycle. It includes rape,
coercion and abuse using physical force, verbal threats, harassment, unwanted
touching, forced participation in pornography or other degrading acts. Sexual
violence against women continues to be an increased public health problem.
Methods: An
institution based cross sectional study design was conducted. Stratified random
sampling technique was employed to get 268 study participants. The data was
entered into Epidata3.1 and then exported to SPSS version 23.0 for analysis.
Bivariable and multivariable logistic regression analysis was employed. In the
multi variable analysis, with a p-value<0.05 were considered as
statistically significant.
Results: The
prevalence’s of lifetime completed rape and attempted rape was 8.6% and 12.7%,
respectively among the total respondents. Keeping other variables constant,
childhood residence (AOR=12.400, 95% CI: 2.692, 57.120), drinking alcohol
(AOR=5.136, 95% CI: 1.253, 21.051) and number of sexual partners (AOR=8.791,
95% CI: 2.005, 38.536) were significantly associated with life time rape in the
multivariate logistic regression analysis. Academically; students who had faced
completed rape in their lifetime had almost four times (AOR=4.121, 1.403,
12.105) higher chance to have last semester CGPA<3.00.
Conclusion: This
study showed that completed lifetime rape, attempted rape and sexual harassment
had temperate prevalence rates. Factors like; having rural childhood residence,
alcohol abusers and having more than one sexual partner were identified as
predictors for rape.
Keywords: Sexual
violence, Rape, Attempted rape, Sexual harassment
BACKGROUND
Sexual
violence is the most common form of violence against women which include rape,
coercion, abuse using physical force, verbal threats, harassment, unwanted
touching or physical advances, forced participation in pornography or other
degrading acts [1].
Sexual
violence is defined as any sexual act; attempt to obtain a sexual act, unwanted
sexual comments or advances, acts to traffic, directed, against a person’s
sexuality using coercion, by any person regardless of their relationship to the
victim [2]. Rape is the most extreme forms of sexual violence, applies to all
pressurized and unwanted sexual experiences, whether or not physical force is
involved [3].
Sexual
violence is pervasive at every stage of women life cycle. However, adolescents
have higher rate of victimization as compared to other age groups. Adolescent
girls and young women are highly affected because of their low level of
literacy status, traditional gender norms and other factors [4].
Sexual
violence against women continues to be an increased public health problem. It
takes a devastating toll on women’s lives, on their families, and on society as
a whole. Worldwide, an estimated one in three women
will be
METHODS
Study area and period
The study was conducted in College of Public
Health and Medical Sciences, which is one of the colleges found in Jimma
University main campus, found in Jimma town. It is located 357 km south west of
Addis Ababa (the capital city of Ethiopia). In consideration of the general
weather condition of the town; it has 1676 m altitude, 7.66 latitude, and 36.83
longitudes. The college is currently enrolling nine regular undergraduate BSc
programs namely; Medicine, Dentistry, Anesthesia, Pharmacy, Public Health
officer, Environmental science, Midwifery, Nursing and Medical laboratory
technology. The study was conducted from March 10 to March 28, 2017.
Study design
An institution based cross sectional study
design was employed.
Source population
All regular, undergraduate female students of
Jimma University, college of medical sciences were registered in the academic
year 2017.
Study population
Sampled female students in college of medical
sciences, Jimma University fulfilled the inclusion criteria.
Sample size determination and sampling procedure
The sample size was determined by using
single population proportion formula by using prevalence of sexual violence
among female college students 37.3% [7]. Finally by adding 10% non-response
rates, the total sample size became 273.
Simple random sampling technique was used to select study participants from
each BSc programs by proportional allocation. The college consisted of nine
regular undergraduate BSc programs. The total sample size was proportionally
allocated to the number of female students in each year of study.
Data collection tool and procedure
An anonymous pretested self-administered
questionnaire was used to collect the quantitative data. The questionnaire was
designed to measure the associated factors and the possible outcomes of sexual
violence. The questionnaire was prepared and administered in English language.
The data collection was facilitated by four BSc nurses. Two BSc nurses were
supervising and controlling the overall data collection process. Identification
number of the students was used to select the actual study participants through
lottery method. The selected students were communicated and the purpose of the
study was explained by the data facilitators.
Study variables
Dependent variables: Magnitude of sexual violence.
Independent variables: Socio-demographic characteristics,
alcohol drinking, chat chewing, cigarette smoking, history of sexual
intercourse, perpetuator’s relation, number of sexual partners.
Data analysis
Data was entered into Epidata3.1 and then
exported to SPSS version 23.0 for analysis. Binary logistic regression model
(Backward: LR method with entry=0.05, removal=0.10, classification cut-off=0.5
and maximum iterations=20) was done to identify factors associated with sexual
violence. Then, multivariate logistic regression analysis was employed
containing all those variables having significant association in the bivariate
analysis in order to account potential confounding and to observe the relative
direct effect of the independent variables against the dependent variable.
Finally, variables having a p-value<0.05 were considered as statistically
significant.
Data quality
management
The quality of data was assured by preparing a
pre-tested well-structured questionnaire, by providing adequate training and orientation
for the data facilitators and by doing supervision during real data collection
time. The data collection was completed within three weeks to avoid information
contamination within the study participants. The collected data was checked for
its consistency and completeness in daily bases by the principal investigators.
Ethical clearance
Ethical approval letter for the study before
data collection was obtained from Jimma University, college of medical sciences
ethical review committee. A written informed consent was obtained from the
respondents after explaining the purpose of the study. The participants were
also informed that their responses will be kept confidential and analyses of
the data will only be held on an aggregate sample level.
RESULTS
Socio-demographic
characteristics
A total of 268 female students completed the
self-administered questionnaire obtaining 98.2% response rate. The minimum and
the maximum age of the study participants were 17 and 25 respectively while the
median age was 20. Regarding the religion, majority of the respondents 158
(59.0%) were Orthodox Christians, followed by 53 (19.8%) Protestants and 47
(17.5%) Muslim. Out of the total
respondents who participated in the study, almost one third 92 (34.3%) were
first year followed by 67 (25.0%) second year students (Table 1).
Substance abuse
related characteristics
Among the total respondents, 64 (23.9%)
revealed that they had a habit of drinking alcohol sometimes. Even though most
participants 93.3% and 94.4% have never had a habit of cigarette smoking and
chat chewing, respectively, there were also a significant number of users for
those substances. A few participants reported that they have ever used cocaine
6 (2.2%), shisha 7 (2.6%) and marijuana 1 (0.4%).
Sexual history related
characteristics
From the total study participants; more than a
quarter 77 (28.7%) reported that they had ever started sexual intercourse.
Nearly half 34 (44.2%) of them had experienced more than one sexual partners.
The mean age during their first sexual intercourse + (SD) was 17.68 + (2.136)
and the median age was 18. The minimum and the maximum age during their first
sexual intercourse were 14 and 22, respectively.
Reasons of the
respondents to start sexual intercourse
Out of the 77 respondents who had started
sexual intercourse, the reason reported to initiate sex was personal desire for
25 (32.5%) of them followed by marriage for 20 (26.0%) of them. But in the
other side, 7 (9.1%) of them had been forced in their first sexual intercourse (Figure 1).
Magnitude of sexual
violence
Among the total respondents, 23 (8.6%) of them
had ever been encountered forced sexual intercourse (rape) in their lifetime.
Out of those rape victims 7 (30.4%) had faced the violence twice in their
lifetime. The minimum and the maximum age of the victims during their first
forced sex was 14 and 19, respectively while the median age was 15.
More than one third 9 (39.2%) of the cases were
committed during secondary school studies followed by 7 (30.4%) after joining
the campus and 7 (30.4%) in primary school age periods.
Perpetuators’
characteristics
The frequent perpetuators of those 23 rape
cases were 7 (30.4%) unknown persons followed by 6 (26.1%) students. Commonly
reported mechanisms which were used to force the victims were threats of harm
and made them drunken 8 (34.8%) of each. Majority 17 (73.9%) of the
perpetuators were older than the victims (Table
2).
Magnitude of sexual
harassment and attempted rape
Concerning on sexual harassment issues; nearly
half 121 (45.1%) of the total respondents had faced at least one form of sexual
harassment practice. And also 34 (12.7%) of them had faced at least one
attempted rape in their lifetime.
Sexual violence
consequences
Almost all 21 (91.3%) of the completed rape
victims were faced to sexual violence consequences. Among the reproductive
health related consequences, unwanted pregnancy 14 (66.7%) and abortion 12
(57.1%) were frequently reported problems by the victims. Regarding to
psychological consequences of the victims; more than half 11 (52.4%) of them
claimed that they felt sadness after the violence (Figure 2).
Factors associated
with sexual violence
Childhood residence, having disability, alcohol
drinking, chat chewing and number of lifetime sexual partners had shown
significant associations with lifetime rape in the bivariate analysis.
After adjusting the other variables; childhood
residence (AOR=12.400, 95% CI: 2.692, 57.120), drinking alcohol (AOR=5.136, 95%
CI: 1.253, 21.051) and number of lifetime sexual partners (AOR=8.791, 95% CI:
2.005, 38.536) were significantly associated with life time rape in the
multivariate logistic regression analysis (Table
3).
Concerning sexual violence consequences;
variables like attempted rape and completed rape had shown significant
association in the bivariable analysis. But only completed rape had
significantly associated with last semester CGPA (AOR=4.121, 95% CI: 1.403, 12.105)
in the multivariate logistic regression model. Which implied those students who
had faced completed rape in their lifetime had almost four times higher chance
to have last semester CGPA < 3.00 than other students who had no history of
completed rape.
DISCUSSION
The prevalence of lifetime completed rape and
attempted rape among the total respondents was 8.6% and 12.7%, respectively.
This finding is consistent with the study done in Bahir Dar among private
college female students which reported 6.3% prevalence rate of forceful sexual
intercourse (rape) in their life time [7].
The result is also fairly matched with the
finding from Assendabo among school girls which reported 8.0% of the
respondents were lifetime sexual assault victims [8]. This result is further
consistent with the study done in Debark among high school students with the
prevalence rates of 8.8% for completed rape and 11.5% for attempted rape [9].
The result of this study is relatively lower
when compared with the community based study conducted among female youths in
Jimma town in which the prevalence of lifetime completed rape was 15.3% and
attempted rape was 17.7% [10]. It is also lower when compared with a study done
among street females in Bahir Dar where life time prevalence of rape was 24.3%
[11]. The major reason for these variations is the difference on study
subjects; as university students had lower risk of sexual violence than
community youths and street females.
But, the result is lower when compared with the
study conducted in Debark among high school female students which revealed that
sexual harassment was reported by 65.3% of the respondents [9]. The reason might
be due to differences in level of education and the study subjects’ perception
about sexual harassment.
According to this study, alcohol abusers had
increased vulnerability to sexual violence. Similar findings were reported from
other studies done in Hawassa [4], in Addis Ababa [12], in Mekele [13] and in
Debark [9]. A lot more school based studies from Ethiopia also indicated the
association of alcohol consumption and sexual violence. Reports from Jimma and
Agaro town among female youths found significant associations between sexual
violence and alcohol consumption [10,14]. This might be due to the condition
that drinking alcohol pushed the female students in settings where their
chances of encountering a potential offender became greater.
Research findings on the issue in Nigeria [15],
in South Africa [16], in Viet Nam [17] in Chile [18] and in USA [19] also
revealed similar results. These factors might predispose the females because
drinking alcohol causes loss of judgment, self-restrain in sexual intercourse
and protective power of female from sexual violence.
CONCLUSION AND
RECOMMENDATION
This study showed that completed lifetime rape,
attempted rape and sexual harassment had temperate prevalence rates. Factors
like; having rural childhood residence, alcohol abusers and having more than
one sexual partner were identified as predictors for rape. The violated victims
faced significant reproductive, psychological and academic effects. Therefore,
timely and integrated actions of the various stakeholders working in this area
are essentially recommended to restrain this critical human rights violation.
DATA AVAILABILITY
The data used for this study is available upon
request.
CONFLICTS OF INTEREST
The author(s) declared that there is no
conflict of interest regarding the publication of this paper.
AUTHORS’ CONTRIBUTIONS
Melaku Admas, Asmare Talie and Liknaw Bewket
designed the study, analysis and drafted the manuscript for publication. Belsty
Temesgen, Mekuanint Taddele and Tensaye Kassa provided scientific advices
starting from design of the study to analysis. All authors read and approved
the manuscript.
FUNDING
This research was funded by Jimma University
College of health sciences up to data collection and analysis of the result but
writing the manuscript was fully covered by the authors themselves.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
We would like to express our heart full
gratitude to the study subjects because without their genuine consent and
provision of the required information, this research work could not be
realized. Our appreciation also goes to Jimma University, department of nursing
and midwifery for its unreserved cooperation.
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