Challenges faced by female students and the messages conveyed to them by practices of lecturers with regards to sexual harassment. Do lecturers nurture or denature their students?
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Date
2014-09
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Abstract
The aim of the study was to scrutinize what happens to students in a teacher’s college environment in terms of sexual
harassment. It further sought to provide insights on (I) whether students are sexually harassed by lecturers (ii) the messages
this sends to students (iii) how students cope with such experiences and the values they consequently pick because of such
experiences. The research was located in the interpretive paradigm hence it adopted qualitative approach and used a case
study design. Purposive sampling was used to select three college managers, ten lecturers and twenty five student
participants. Seven of the students were interviewed individually using semi-structured interviews while 18 of them
constituted 3 focus groups of six students each that completed the data collection by interview. The study found that there
was sexual harassment of students by some lecturers in the colleges. The study also established that students got the message
that some lecturers did not value students and on occasion treated them in a degrading manner. The study also established
that students used some strategies to cope including avoidance, appealing to authorities and counselling. The study
recommended that in cases of sexual harassment, specially trained officers in handling sexual harassment cases for reporting
such cases be put in place so that in view of the culture of fear of victimization and stigmatization, students may be forth-
coming in reporting such sensitive and personal matters so that these are curtailed
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Keywords
Sexual harassment, Stigmatisation, Victimisation, Orientation, Hidden messages
Citation
Tlou, F. N., 2014. Challenges faced by female students and the messages conveyed to them by practices of lecturers with regards to sexual harassment. Do lecturers nurture or denature their students?, pp.51–58