Determinants of Sexual Violence among Eastern Ethiopian Secondary School Students

The purpose of this dissertation was to investigate the determinants of sexual violence among Eastern Ethiopia secondary school students. To this end, we studied risk and protective factors for both sexual violence perpetration and victimization, and the moderating role of protective factors on the relation between risk factors and sexual violence perpetration and victimization. Accordingly, we found 70% of the young men perpetrating and 68% of the young women experiencing at least one instance of sexual violence. We have also found, about 56% of the young men have perpetrated and 52% of the young women have experienced sexual offense (verbal remarks, etc), and 62% of the young men have perpetrated and 56% of the young women have experienced sexual assault (unwanted, non-coital physical contact). About 38% of the young men have perpetrated and 25% of the young women have experienced sexual coercion, and 23% of the young men have perpetrated and 15% of the young women have experienced sexual aggression. Multiple sexual partners, frequent pornography and substance use, supportive or tolerant attitudes towards sexual violence, and men’s supremacy on sexual relations are the prominent risk factors that contribute to young men’s perpetration of sexual violence and young women’s vulnerability to sexual violence victimization. An exaggerated feeling of entitlement (narcissism) highly contributes to sexual violence perpetration, and high rejection sensitivity highly increases vulnerability to sexual violence victimization. Additionally, parental connectedness, parent-adolescent sexual communication, religiosity and school connectedness have been found as protective factors that in combination reduce the likelihood of either young men’s perpetration of sexual violence or young women’s vulnerability to sexual violence victimization. Specifically, a high level of school connectedness minimizes the chances of both sexual violence perpetration and victimization; whereas a high level of secure parental attachment and religiosity reduced the likelihood sexual violence victimization. In sum, sexual violence is a serious problem among Ethiopian youth. Action needs to be taken to reduce sexual violence, and the identification of risk and protective factors among Ethiopian youth is an important first step. Implementation of prevention strategies within schools should focus on both reduction of the risk factors and increment of protective factors. Employing schools’ curricular and non-curricular channels could bring maximum effect on the reduction of the occurrence of sexual violence.