FACTORS PREDISPOSING SEXUAL HARASSMENT AS PERCEIVED BY LECTURERS IN AMBROSE ALLI UNIVERSITY EKPOMA EDO STATE

Abstract

The study investigated factors predisposing sexual harassment as perceived by lecturers in Ambrose Alli University 
Ekpoma Edo State. Specifically. The specific objectives  of the study were to examine whether sexual promiscuity, 
indecent dressing, drug abuse and peer pressure is perceived by lecturers as a factor predisposing sexual harassment 
in Ambrose Alli University Ekpoma Edo State and further determine whether gender and age differences exist in 
lecturers’ perception on factors (sexual promiscuity, indecent dressing, drug abuse and peer pressure) predisposing 
sexual harassment in Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, Edo State.The study adopted the descriptive survey research 
design. The population of this covered all the 675 university lecturers in Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma in the 
2018/2019 session. The sample of 270 university lecturers was selected for the study. The proportional sampling 
technique was used to select 40% of the university lecturers from each of the faculties in the institution. The instrument 
that was used for this study was a questionnaire titled: Sexual Harassment Survey Questionnaire (SHSQ). The 
reliability of the instrument was done using the test–retest reliability technique. This was done by administering copies 
of the questionnaire to a trial group of 30 lecturers in University of Ekpoma. The researcher personally administered 
the questionnaire to lecturers in their offices in various faculties with the assistance of departmental class 
representatives and (executive members of departmental associations).  Research Questions 1 to 4 was analysed with 
means (X ̅), standard deviation (S.D). Hypotheses 1 and 2 were tested with the use of t-test for two independent samples. 
All the hypotheses were tested at 0.05 level of significance. The result shows that sexual promiscuity, indecent 
dressing, drug abuse and peer pressure were the factors predisposing sexual harassment among lecturers in Ambrose 
Alli University, Edo State. Furthermore, gender of lecturers and age determined the variations in the factors 
predisposing sexual harassment among lecturers in the institution. It was recommended that a special guidance and 
counselling unit should be created in the institution to equip victims of verbal and physical sexual harassment with 
coping strategies needed to resist the emotional trauma associated with harassment.