Abstract
The study investigated the growing cases of sexual harassment among male lecturers against female students in select polytechnics in the South-Western Nigeria. Using socio-cultural theory, the study explains how power differentials exist between men and women, strengthening the cases of sexual harassment and intimidation of women in many African societies. The study was a qualitative design using in-depth interviews to explore the psychological effects of sexual harassment on female students, non-reporting of sexual harassment and the effectiveness of interpersonal enlightenment campaigns on sexual harassment among female polytechnic students. Sixteen female-student survivors of sexual harassment were used for the study. Findings showed that female student-survivors of sexual harassment had the thoughts of committing suicide and got depressions. Findings showed that that stigma is the major reason for non-reportage of sexual harassment against the perpetrators by the student-survivors or student-victims of sexual harassment. Findings showed that interpersonal enlightenment campaigns against sexual harassment of female students have been very effective. Therefore, the study recommended that a Unit to be christened as Sexual Harassment Counselling Unit should be established in each of the Polytechnics in Nigeria to deal with the psychological trauma and emotional stress that female student-survivors or female student-victims of sexual harassment might have undergone. Policies should be emplaced to support the victims of sexual harassment to speak up and break their silence without an iota of fear of retaliations by the perpetrators of sexual molestations and atrocities. Policies of each of the polytechnics against sexual harassment must be tailored towards making use of a group seminar, hostel-to-hostel, hall of residence-to-hall of residence and classroom-to-classroom campaigns to uproot the menace of sexual harassment among female students should be strengthened.
Keywords: Interpersonal Means, Enlightenment Campaigns, Sexual Harassment, Female Students, Polytechnics