Prevalence of sexual harassment and its relationship with family birth order among female undergraduates: New findings from institutional-based cross-sectional study in the south east, Nigeria

Abstract

Family is the microcosm of a larger society that provides care that shapes the behavior of children. However, the different levels of attention children receive from their parents may affect their behaviour and self-esteem, which can lead to them being more vulnerable to sexual harassment. An institutional-based cross-sectional survey was conducted from March – August 2021, to assess the relationship between family birth order and prevalence of sexual harassment. The multistage sampling procedure was used to draw 1070 participants. The data was analyzed using percentages, mean, and multivariate logistic regression statistics. The multivariate logistic regression was used to estimate adjusted odds ratios (AOR) along with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). The level of significance was set at P < 0.05. The findings revealed prevalence (73.6%) of sexual harassment, and the two forms such as verbal (ꭓ= 2.63) and non-verbal sexual harassment (ꭓ= 2.56) were high. The multivariate logistic regression odds ratios adjusted shows that the middle born were approximately 2 folds (AOR = 1.62; CI = 1.14 – 2.30; P = 0.008˂ 0.05) more likely to predict sexual harassment. The study recommended amongst others that parents in South Eastern Nigeria should refrain from given special attention to a particular child as this may predispose the unfavoured child to sexual harassment.