Prevalence and predictors of child rape among female high school students in Lagos
Child rape is a threat to the development of any country. It is associated with a wide range of negative consequences which include psychological, physical and reproductive health outcomes. The study sought to examine the prevalence and predictors of girl child rape among female high school students in Lagos, Nigeria with particular focus on age, living arrangement, family income, and work involvement. The study employed a cross-sectional survey of two high schools in Lagos among female students. Data were generated from four hundred female students. The mean age is 15. Result showed that about 26% of the respondents had experienced rape. While 17.8% of the girls were physically forced into a sexual intercourse, 8.6% of them were pressured into it. The binary logistic regression model revealed that age and work involvement are statistically significant on the experience of rape (Cox and Snell’s R2 = 0.053 and a Nagelkerke’s R2 = 0.077). The findings of this study reveals that there is a significant prevalence of child rape among female high school students. The study recommends intensive empowerment programs to alleviate sufferings of people and sensitisation programs targeted at parents and children.