Factors Contributing to Sexual Violence at Selected Schools for Learners with Mild Intellectual Disability in South Africa

Sexual violence and associated factors among reproductive-age females with disabilities in central Sidama National Regional State, Ethiopia: a multilevel analysis

BACKGROUND

Sexual violence is one of the most common problems in reproductive health that causes different traumatic events that lead to mental, social, and physical problems. Females with disabilities are subjected to more traumatic events and consequences. In Ethiopia, there are limited evidences about the prevalence and associated factors of sexual violence among reproductive-aged females with disabilities. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the prevalence and associated factors of sexual violence among females with disabilities in reproductive-age in central Sidama National Regional State, Ethiopia.

METHODS

A multistage sampling technique was used to select 645 reproductive-age females with disabilities. Initially, three districts were purposefully selected, from which 30 kebeles and study participants were selected randomly from June 20 to July 15, 2022. A face-to-face interviewing technique was used to collect the data. The data were analyzed using a multilevel logistic regression analysis model. The measures of associations were reported using the adjusted odds ratio (AOR) and its 95% confidence interval (CI).

RESULTS

The prevalence of sexual violence among reproductive-age females with disabilities was 59.8% (95% CI: 56, 63.56). Residing in an urban setting (AOR = 0.51; 95% CI: 0.29, 0.88), being an adult (25 to 34 years old) (AOR = 5.9; CI: 3.01, 11.6), being an adult (35 to 49 years old) (AOR = 3.47; CI: 1.48, 8.14), having no sexuality information (AOR = 11.3; CI: 6.24, 20.5), and having hearing disabilities (AOR = 3.19; CI: 1.49, 6.83) were factors associated with sexual violence.

CONCLUSIONS

Sexual violence among reproductive-age females with disabilities is noticeably high. Place of residence, sexual orientation, age, and disability type were all factors associated with sexual violence. Therefore, providing sexuality education, giving high attention (information and education about sexuality) to rural residents, and considering females with hearing disabilities are important to minimize sexual violence among reproductive-age females with disabilities.

Sexual violence among young women in Nigeria: a cross-sectional study of prevalence, reporting and care-seeking behaviours

BACKGROUND

Only a few studies, mostly hospital-based, have examined sexual violence among young people women in Nigeria. We examined the prevalence, correlates, perpetrators, reporting of and health-seeking behaviour for sexual violence using data of 395 young women (aged 17-24) obtained from a Nigerian university.

METHODS

We selected participants using stratified sampling and defined sexual violence as sexual acts or attempts to obtain sexual acts by violence or coercion by any person irrespective of their relationship to the victim. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to summarise the data obtained.

RESULTS

Our analysis shows that 39.5% of the respondents had experienced some form of sexual violence. Adequate family financial support was protective against sexual violence after adjusting for all background characteristics (AOR: 0.60 95% CI: 0.39-0.93). However, young women who use alcohol had higher odds of reporting sexual violence experience than those who never used alcohol. In most cases (78.5%), perpetrators were well known to the victims. Only 3.3% of sexual violence cases were reported to law enforcement agencies and just 13.1% of victims sought care from health providers.

CONCLUSION

Sexual violence occurs at a tragically high frequency, and victims rarely report incidents to law enforcement agencies or access the much-needed care. The findings suggest a need for interventions that address why victims of sexual violence rarely report to law enforcement or seek care.

Will You Protect Me or Make the Situation Worse?: Teachers' Responses to School Violence Against Students With Disabilities

School violence is a global public health epidemic, with students with disabilities at a significantly greater risk than their non-disabled peers. Students with disabilities are more vulnerable to school violence from peers, teachers, and school staff due to stereotypes and prejudice. Teachers are pivotal in preventing violence and intervening, but literature on the role that teachers play in responding to disability-based violence is limited. Guided by the social-ecological framework of bullying, this qualitative study explored educators' responses to school violence against students with disabilities in Zambia. Data generation included document review, interviews, and focus groups with 33 teachers and 12 parents, and child-friendly methods with 90 students with disabilities. Findings illuminated that students with disabilities are less safe in schools. Teachers are not responding to violence seen or heard about due to stigmatizing beliefs and cultural norms surrounding disability and violence, with students with disabilities blamed for the violence and the response being their burden. Students with disabilities felt protected by special education teachers; however, disability-based stigma did not end with the student. By association, special education teachers were experiencing stigma from other teachers and were discouraged to respond. This stigma undermined the support special education teachers could provide to decrease school violence. Findings provide direction so teachers can respond to school violence in prosocial ways that create an environment where students with disabilities feel safe.

Knowledge, perceptions and experiences of risk to sexual violence among adults with intellectual disabilities in Cape Town, South Africa

Background

People with intellectual disabilities are at high risk to sexual violence, yet minimal research has been conducted in South Africa to understand this phenomenon, especially seeking perspectives of people with intellectual disabilities themselves.

Objectives

This study aimed to explore and describe the knowledge and awareness of risk to sexual violence among adults with intellectual disabilities and to understand their perceptions and experiences of risk.

Method

An exploratory qualitative approach was appropriate as there is lack of literature on this subject. Focus group discussions were used as the method of data collection. The method of conducting focus group discussions and data collection instruments were adapted to suit the communication and cognitive abilities of the adults. Twenty-seven adults participated in the study and they were divided into six groups of four to five participants in each group.

Results

The adults’ responses revealed that they had some knowledge of risks to sexual violence, but they also had knowledge gaps and some erroneous knowledge and perceptions that could put them at high risk. The experiences they shared showed that the risk of sexual violence is high among women with intellectual disabilities.

Conclusion

Further research is needed to inform a community approach which includes people with intellectual disabilities, their families, services providers and community members as an intervention to empower and protect people with intellectual disabilities from sexual violence. To achieve this, we recommend an ecological framework as a guiding tool in both the research processes and the implementation of the outcomes.

[Guide for the classification of clinical research articles for the International Journal of Andrology]

The classification of knowledge is essential for understanding between researchers and the advancement of science. In this article a brief classification of clinical research methods is presented. The advantages that researchers use the same nomenclature are recalled, which enables improved communication among researchers, facilitates replication of studies and searches in databases, and helps to establish the aspects that can affect the different research models. They are grouped into four broad categories: epidemiological articles, articles of qualitative methodology, mixed methodology articles and review articles.