Prevalence of sexual violence against women in Nigeria: The red flags and the way forward

Abstract

The rising number of cases of sexual violence in Nigeria has become so worrisome and mindboggling that, despite several widespread condemnation and punitive measures, bringing an end to it seems far-fetched. The argument of this article is that early identification of  the red flags will play a significant role in curbing incessant cases of sexual violence. At the front pages of our national dailies, one reads  several cases of sexual violence and unfortunately, women of all age brackets are victims of this heinous crime. It cuts across all sectors  of the society, the homes, schools, workplace, hospitals and even the churches where people consider to be sacred and safe. In  addressing this problem this work adopts the method of critical textual analysis and it is purely qualitative. Findings show that several  deterrent measures have not been able to eradicate the rising cases of sexual violence especially rape cases in Nigeria. Contributing to  this discussion, this paper concludes that identifying the early signs (red flags) and taking a proactive rather than a reactive step will help  in minimizing the incessant cases of sexual violence in Nigeria.