Quid pro quo sexual harassment: Comparative study of its occurrences in selected institutions in South-West, Nigeria

Abstract

• We empirically examined the prevalent type of harassments in the Nigerian tertiary institutions. • This study found that the types of harassment experienced within Nigerian tertiary institutions differs according to the institutional structure by either private or public. • Congruent with our hypotheses, the students’ awareness of sexual harassment has no relationship gender wise. • Comparatively, Nigerian Public Institutions experienced sex-for-marks more than the Private Institutions. Quid pro quo type of sexual harassment; an exchange of sex for benefits which could be career, economic, monetary or academic marks in case of tertiary institutions and that diminishes students’ right and impedes on their educational achievements or productivity. Sex for mark has become an issue of discussion in the Nigerian tertiary institutions in recent time due to its repeated occurrence. This survey empirically examines the prevalent type of harassments in the Nigerian tertiary institutions, whether the awareness of sexual harassment varies by gender and whether the type of institution differs in the perception of respondents about quid pro quo type of sexual harassment. In sourcing for information, the empirical methodology was adopted, involving quantitative and qualitative methods of research. Three hundred and fifty five (355) respondents were selected from private and public owned tertiary institution for the survey and the result revealed that majority of the respondents in public institutions (42.4%) reported that sex-for-marks was common in the school, when compared with the private institutions where majority (39.9%) had no idea. The study recommends that the characteristics of victims of sexual harassment within tertiary institutions be investigated to avoid risk of such exploitation.