Homosexual Practices among Senior High School Students in the Cape Coast Metropolis

Abstract

This study explored the incidence of homosexuality practices in the senior high schools in the Cape Coast Metropolis. It also investigated what senior high school students think are the possible causes of homosexuality, the general attitude of students towards homosexuals, and how homosexuality can be managed in senior high schools. The sample comprised 351 participants (203 males and 148 females) who were randomly selected from Forms 3 and 4 students in three senior high schools in the Cape Coast Metropolis of the Central Region of Ghana. A questionnaire was used in data collection. Both descriptive and inferential statistics were used in data analyses with alpha level set at .05. The study revealed that homosexuality practices are going on in the senior high schools and the major possible causes were excessive masturbation, spiritual causes, and initiation into the practice by seniors at school. The results also show that attitudes of students towards homosexuals in school are generally negative and males were statistically not different from females in terms of their attitude towards homosexuality. The study suggested that homosexuality can be managed by orienting school counsellors, teachers, and parents to understand and be able to deal with the issues of homosexuality and also by providing supportive counselling services for homosexuals in schools. The study recommends that counsellors and counselling centres should be resourced to handle homosexuality in Senior High Schools.