1.1 Introduction
Gender-based violence (GBV) refers to violence directed towards an individual or group on the basis of their gender. Gender-based violence was traditionally conceptualized as violence by men against women, but is now increasingly taken to include a wider range of hostilities based on sexual identity and sexual orientation, including certain forms of violence against men who do not embody the dominant forms of masculinity. The term “gender-based” is used because such violence is shaped by gender roles and status in society. Gender-based violence against women does not encompass every violent act a woman may happen to experience.
As a prelude to other parts of this study, this chapter will discuss the background upon which this study was initiated, the statement of problems that led to this study, the Aim and Objectives of the study. Others are Significance of the study, Scope of work, Research hypothesis and questions, Limitations of the Study and Definition of technical terms.
1.2 Background of Study
Gender-based violence impacts the lives of countless women and their families across the United States. Women and girls of all ages, income levels, racial and ethnic communities, sexual orientations and religious affiliations experience violence in the form of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, trafficking and stalking. The enactment of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) in 1994 provided a national, streamlined response to how communities respond to violence against women by giving law enforcement, prosecutors and judges the tools they need to hold offenders accountable and keep communities safe while supporting victims. VAWA serves as a vital funding source for YWCAs and other organizations that provide critical services directly to victims of abuse and sexual assault.
The current interest in gender-based violence arose primarily with the growth of Western feminism in the 1970's, which drew attention to widespread violence against women. The social silence around rape was challenged and researchers identified Rape Trauma Syndrome (Burgess & Holdstrom, 1974) and Battered Women Syndrome (Walker, 1979) as common psychological conditions. Not only were high levels of sexual violence against women exposed, but this was theorised as an integral aspect of Patriarchy. Writers such as Brownmiller (1975), for instance, argued that rape was the means by which men as a social group maintained their dominance over women. While contemporary accounts are less conspiratorial, they nevertheless retain the fundamental insight that gender-based violence is inextricably linked to social structures of gender inequality. This is expressed through power imbalances in relationships, sexist ideologies, rape myths and the vulnerable position of women and other gender minorities in society (Walker et al., 2004; Vogelman, 1990; Wood & Jewkes, 1997; Vetten, 2000; Martin, 2004).
Two major consequences of this social context of inequality are that the victims tend to have limited power to protect themselves, and that they tend to be blamed for their own victimization. This victim blaming is frequently seen in cases of women whose rape is attributed to their own behaviour rather than that of the rapist, the negative perceptions of people who remain in abusive relationships, and the idea that it is the responsibility of gender minorities to conceal their sexual difference in order to avoid discrimination and assaults.
Therefore, in Nigeria where the research was carried out, the activities that was conducted is to know the Perception of Psychosocial Consequences of Gender Based Violence among Female Adolescent in College.
1.3 Statement of Problems
Investigation reveals the consequences of gender-based violence are devastating. Survivors often experience life-long emotional distress, mental health problems and poor reproductive health. Abused women are also at higher risk of acquiring HIV. Women who have been physically or sexually assaulted tend to be intensive long-term users of health services.
Gender-based violence has adverse psychological, economic and health consequences. Young women and girls are also disproportionately victims of sexual violence and harassment, human trafficking, female genital mutilation, and child marriage, among other types. Gender-based violence can happen anywhere: in the home, at school, in the workplace, hidden, and in plain sight (Medium, 2021).
1.4 Aim and Objectives of Study
The aim of the study is to scrutinize the Perception of Psychosocial Consequences of Gender Based Violence among Female Adolescent in College. In achieving this aim, the following specific objectives were laid out as follows:
- To find out the factors militating gender based violence among Female Adolescent in College
- To determine the Psychosocial Consequences of gender based violence among Female Adolescent in College
- To evaluate the potential intervention impacts beyond the reduction of gender based violence among Female Adolescent in College
- To determine the relationship between gender and sexualized violence among Female Adolescent in College
1.5 Research Questions
The study came up with research questions so as to be able to ascertain the above stated objectives. The specific research questions for the study are stated below as follows:
- Is there any linkage between gender and sexualized violence among Female Adolescent in College?
- What are the factors militating gender based violence among Female Adolescent in College?
- What are Psychosocial Consequences of gender based violence among Female Adolescent in College?
- What are the potential intervention impacts beyond the reduction of gender based violence among Female Adolescent in College?
