Victimization of Physical and Sexual Violence and Perpetration of Rape among Adolescents: Comparative Analysis and associated Factors among High School Adolescents

Shahana Rasool; Sunday B. Fakunmoju

doi:10.1921/swssr22271

Authors

Shahana Rasool University of Johannesburg, Head of Social Work Department https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7491-9480
Sunday B. Fakunmoju Westfield State University, Massachusetts https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5187-0677

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1921/swssr22271

Keywords:

victimisation, perpetration, physical violence, sexual violence, rape

Abstract

Comparative studies of adolescent victimization and perpetration of physical and sexual violence and rape are limited but crucial for understanding global patterns and effective prevention strategies. This study examined the victimization by physical and sexual violence and the perpetration and threats of rape among a convenience sample of 1,969 adolescents from 43 high schools in Nigeria and South Africa. Despite some similarities and differences in prevalence of the examined victimization and perpetration, the findings reveal that adolescent boys were more likely than girls to report victimization, suggesting potential fear of retaliation and stigmatization affecting female disclosures. Rape victimization and threats were linked to the perpetration and threats of rape. Notably, adolescents in South Africa were more likely to report threatening and perpetrating rape compared to their Nigerian counterparts. This comparative approach provides valuable insights into the socio-cultural contexts that influence violence and cross-culturally sensitive strategies to protect adolescents from violence

Author Biographies

Shahana Rasool, University of Johannesburg, Head of Social Work Department

Shahana Rasool is a social worker who obtained her undergraduate degree at WITS and earned her Master’s and Doctorate from the University of Oxford (UK), Department of Social Policy. She is a Professor and Head of the Department at the University of Johannesburg (UJ), where she lectures on research, social issues, theory, and community development. Before joining UJ, she lectured at the University of the Witwatersrand (WITS).
Shahana has been an activist, researcher, trainer, and academic in the field of gender for many years, with a particular focus on gender-based violence. She has a keen interest in social transformation, which began during her time as an anti-Apartheid activist in South Africa and continued through her work in the NGO sector in both South Africa and Australia. Her research in South Africa has explored the socio-cultural influences on help-seeking behaviors and the responses of formal and informal resources to abused women. Her current research focuses on the relationship between adolescent gender attitudes and exposure to gender-based violence, as well as decoloniality in social work education.
Shahana is also the chair of the Southern African Journal for Social Work and Social Development and serves on the editorial board of the Journal of International Women’s Studies. Additionally, she chairs the International Conference on Gender and Sexuality. She can be contacted at shahanar@uj.ac.za.

Sunday B. Fakunmoju, Westfield State University, Massachusetts

Sunday Fakunmoju is a professor of social work at Westfield State University, Massachusetts, where he teaches research and practice courses. His research and practice focus on parental and interpersonal violence, mental health, child protection, and child welfare. He is a licensed independent clinical social worker in Maryland and Washington, D.C., USA, and a Senior Research Associate at the University of Johannesburg, Faculty of Humanities, South Africa.

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