Prevalence and Management of Child Sexual Abuse in Public Schools in Lapai Town, Niger State. A Gender Based Study

Abstract

This gender-based study investigated the prevalence, knowledge, and institutional management of child sexual abuse (CSA) cases among students in public secondary schools in Lapai Town, Niger State, Nigeria. Using a cross-sectional descriptive survey design, data were collected from 97 students (JSS 1–SSS 3) using a structured questionnaire across ten randomly selected schools between January and December 2024. Findings revealed that 10.31% of students experienced some form of CSA, with peer and teacher-perpetrated abuse each accounting for 4.12%. Gender disparities were evident: males reported higher peer abuse (8.0% vs. 0.0%), while females experienced more teacher abuse (6.4% vs. 2.0%). Although institutional reporting mechanisms were widely perceived as available, 97.9% acknowledged guidance offices and 91.8% cited confidential reporting. Actual help-seeking remained low due to barriers like teacher threats (17.5%), community tradition (15.5%), and shame (13.4%), all disproportionately affecting females. Consequently, 4.1% of the students, mostly girls, dropped out due to harassment. While students demonstrated high awareness of overt abuse (e.g., genital mutilation: 88.7%), recognition of subtle grooming behaviours (e.g., “Teacher says I love you”: 52.6%) was critically low, especially among males. The study concludes that despite structural readiness, systemic vulnerabilities persist due to socio cultural silencing and inadequate education on covert abuse tactics. The study recommends gender-sensitive CSA curricula, mandatory teacher training, strengthened child protection protocols, and community engagement to bridge the gap between policy and practice, ensuring safer school environments for all children.