Perspectives of Victims and Stakeholders on Sexual Violence Among Young Women in Bolgatanga in the Upper East Region of Ghana

Abstract

It has been observed by studies around the world that sexual violence appears to be prevalent. Women have gone through a number of physical, emotional, or psychological and social challenges as result of sexual violence. Most perpetrators of sexual violence go unpunished. The main objective of the study was to explore the perspectives of victims and key stakeholders on sexual violence. The study adopted the modified social-ecological model and generated a conceptual framework from the model. Through purposive sampling method, the victims and the stakeholders were contacted. The data obtained was analysed thematically. It was realised that sexual violence occurs as a result of factors which were found within the various levels of the model. These factors included; age, poverty, working in some environments like drinking spots, living within a particular family arrangement and lacking care and support from a parent. The consequences that victims faced were medical (contracting a sexually transmitted infection), psychological (trauma, fear, and in-built scars), and social (victim-blaming, discrimination, ridicule and school drop-out). The reasons that prevented victims from reporting cases of sexual violence were as a result of fear of the police, victim-blaming, familiarity with the perpetrator, family settlement of cases of sexual violence, and poverty. The institutions involved in addressing issues of sexual violence work to ensure that victims get justice. However, victims and their families are unable to report their cases or follow through for the appropriate things to be done because of poverty and fear of the police. The conclusion is that sexual violence gets addressed by authorities but due to the reasons stated above justice is hardly served.