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International Journal of
Population Studies Physical sexual violence in Sub-Saharan Africa

1. Introduction that one in every four adolescent girls aged 15 – 19 (almost
24% of the world’s adolescents) have experienced either
Sexual violence is one of the fastest growing global crimes physical or sexual violence from either an intimate partner
with no geographical boundaries despite the widespread or husband (UNFPA, 2022).
outcry over the menace. Despite the fact that it has
constituted one of the trending news on social media, data For instance, sexual harassment is defined as “any
documentation on the most prevalent forms of sexual unwanted or unwelcome sexual advances, requests for
violence within and across countries are harder to locate sexual favors, and any other physical or verbal harassment
in the literature, especially as it relates to Sub-Saharan of a sexual nature” (WHO, 2012, p.2). Its common forms
African countries. While the crime is under-reported, include: unwanted touching and/or grabbing, physical
the multifaceted nature of sexual violence could befog intrusion into someone’s personal space, comments about
the understanding of the specific forms and patterns an individual’s body parts, and unsolicited sexual jokes
and eventually hinder effective interventions (Adinew & aimed at a particular person (Buss, 2023). Sexual assault is
Hagos, 2017), especially in the Sub-Saharan African region defined as non-consensual sexual contact that could involve
where sexual matters are sacred. In addition, the incessant intentional sexual contact made through force, intimidation,
vulnerability, rampancy of the incidence of sexual violence coercion, or abuse of authority (Savino & Turvey, 2004).
in different terminologies, and the expression of shock and These may include unwanted contact (e.g., kissing,
disappointment by both the victims and the perpetrators touching) and groping (i.e., the act of intentionally touching
whenever the damaging consequences ramp up signals that another person sexually without their consent). It also
there could be inadequate understanding of the dimensions includes sexual slavery and lewd acts. Rape is described
of sexual violence in gender relationship. It could also imply as sex without consent and it is likened to sexual robbery
that there is an inadequate proper guidance in the field of or burglary (Bourke, 2020; Savino & Turvey, 2004). Sexual
sexual behavior, especially as it relates to sexual violence in violence may include stalking which includes willfully and
the region. Knowing the prevailing types of sexual violence repeatedly following or trailing someone in a manner that
for a specific country could help policymakers understand could be suspected for obtaining unwanted sexual attention
the extent of the problem and guide them in implementing or intentionally meant to secure unwanted sexual attention.
appropriate interventions for prevention and treatment. This act may be either done physically or electronically
(Basile et al., 2011; Bourke, 2020; Savino & Turvey, 2004).
Sexual violence has been described and contextualized
diversely with potential, perhaps for proper understanding While the generic intimate partner violence (IPV)
and expected reduction in the incidence. In the literature, comes in different forms, e.g., physical violence, sexual
sexual violence goes by different names such as harassment, violence, stalking, and psychological aggression (Izugbara
assault, child sexual abuse, rape, incest, beating, and et al., 2020), its nexus in this study is IPSV. This is defined
intimate partner sexual violence (IPSV). Each of these has as any form of unwanted sexual contact or activity from an
different connotations. Sexual violence is sexual activity intimate partner that exerts fear, threats, or violence on the
that is not freely given or where consent is not expressed partner (Gopalan, 2022; Izugbara et al., 2020).
by either party. It is a non-consensual contact or non- Another form of sexual violence is incest especially
contact sexual activity, either completed or attempted when it involves an adult and a child (Gusti & Agung,
(Basile et al., 2020). Sexual violence widely occurs in both 2020). It is an abuse that has cultural diffusion in practices
domestic areas and public places such as workspaces, and perception. In certain cultures, while it is culturally
campuses, schools, religious centers and may occur even tolerated for cousins to marry each other, with consensual
during transit. The World Health Organization (WHO) sex between adults considered legal (Hörnle, 2014), it
defines sexual violence as any sexual act, attempted sexual is a social taboo and often frowned on in some other
act, unwanted sexual comments, sexual advances, or communities (Bittles, 2015; Smit, 2021). In Nigeria, for
acts by any person, regardless of their relationship to the example, incest is a sexually violent crime punishable by
victim and in any settings, including the victim’s home law (Uche & Azuonwu, 2022). Incest is sexual intercourse
and place of employment (Lewis et al., 2016; WHO, 2021). between first-degree relatives such as sex between mother
The WHO’s description also depicts the the use of force or and son, father and daughter, step-parent and step-child,
coercion to compel a person into commercial sex acts or brother and sister, uncle and niece; grand-uncle and grand-
labor against their will. The organization also highlighted child, aunt and nephew; grand-aunt and grand-nephew,
that sexual violence encompasses all acts that range from and so on (Bittles, 2015). Like the general sexual violence
verbal harassment to forced penetration (WHO, 2012). The that is commonly silenced, accurate statistics on incest
United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) also identified are largely unknown. Incest cases are often not reported,

Volume 10 Issue 3 (2024) 47 https://doi.org/10.36922/ijps.0621