Understanding the factors contributing to sexual harassment amongst black African university students.

Abstract

Depictions of the sexuality of female university students included themes of insecurity, subordination, submissiveness and passivity. This study presents lived experiences of sexual harassment among Black African university students within a socio-cultural, gender and feminist context to understand the factors that lead to sexual harassment. Sexual harassment encounters among female university students created a questionable background for the victim to pursue arrangements of authority and ultimately exercise sexual power, agency and subjectivity. The research also tried to understand the degree to which these interactions were culturally and socially focused. Michael Foucault's concepts of sexuality and power, social constructionist epistemology and the theory of social identity influenced the theoretical analytical support of this research. The research implemented qualitative interpretive approaches that were in-depth individual interviews and focus group discussions. Data analysis and interpretation was carried out using the thematic and material analysis of Social Sciences. The study used convenient & purposive sampling techniques and 24 participants formed this study. In the form of graphs and emerging themes from the investigation, the study results are discussed. Black African university students' narratives portrayed a sexually dysfunctional context in which the perceptions of sexual abuse of the participants were reciprocity of social cultural and individual variables. Although sexual harassment at the university was found endemic, it was described as marginalized and underreported. A dissent from the notions of sexual docility and passivity retained in the current literature is addressed in this review. The study found sexual harassment as socialized in societies and societal norms for decades the normalization is through silence and rape culture. It is important to resolve and take aggressive and sexually abusive climates as a priority because it is a hindrance to the well-being and wellbeing of students. The research also found the LGBTQI+ and women students as often victims of sexual harassment by men who were more wealthy and influential than them.