Investigating health care providers’ attitudes towards victims of sexual violence and abuse in a university in south west Nigeria

Abstract

Health care providers play a fundamental role in the society as the foremost members of the health care service team for the victims of sexual violence and abuse and their attitudes towards victims of sexual violence and abuse can play an essential role in the standard of health care services provided for sexual violence and abuse victims. Thus, this study investigates the attitude of care providers towards sexual and abuse victims in a university health center in Nigeria, Obafemi Awolowo University in South west Nigeria. A random sampling of 40 students of Obafemi Awolowo University and 15 health care providers from Obafemi Awolowo University health center was conducted. A survey and focused group discussion were used as the research instrument of this study. The result of the study shows that the females are mostly the victims of sexual violence and abuse and this is because of the attitude of culture towards female gender. The finding also reveals that sexual violence is a function of power relation between the abused and the abuser and this study concludes that sexual violence is an abuse of power. The study also showed that health care providers have insufficient knowledge in dealing with sexual violence and abuse victims. This study therefore recommends that health care providers should be more professional in dealing with victims of sexual violence and abuse. Health facilities should also provide posttraumatic intervention within the health facilities to complement the work of health care providers and to soothing the pains of the victims.