Experience of gender based violence among in-school adolescents during COVID-19 pandemic

Background: Gender based violence (GBV) is a societal problem which has a worldwide prevalence. There are media reports that the lockdown measure against COVID-19 pandemic may increase the incidence of GBV in the home but empirical evidence is lacking.  This study aimed to assess adolescents’ experience of gender based violence during the COVID 19 lockdown in Ibadan, a southwestern Nigeria city.
Methodology: This was a descriptive cross sectional study among 520 adolescents from both private and public secondary schools selected using multistage sampling technique. Semi-structured questionnaire was developed, pretested and validated before being self-administered to collect data on socio-demographic characteristics and parental factors associated with experience of GBV. Data were collated and analyzed using frequency, chi-square. IBM Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) for windows version 20 was used in running the analysis.
Result: Respondents were 266 (51.2%) females and 254 (48.8%) males, Aged 15.28±1.40years (females) and 15.64±1.53 years (males), and lived with both parents (n=367, 70.6%). Over half of the respondents fathers (n=224, 55.6%) and mothers (n=204, 53.2%) are educated to tertiary level. Respondent’s parents were mostly semi-skilled workers (Fathers n= 279, 53.7%; Mothers n=272, 52.3%).  Most of the adolescents (n=315, 60.6%) have high gender equitable attitude towards violence (females n=187, 36%; males n=128, 24.6%). Gender is a factor that is significantly associated with attitude / acceptance of violence (ᵪ2 21.56, P=0.000).Most of the respondents’ parents are currently married & living with their partner (n= 413, about 79%). Reported experience of GBV was high during the pandemic and includes sexual violence (n=248,47.7%); psychological violence (n=334, 64.2%) and cyber violence (n=84, 16.2%).
Conclusion: The findings of the study suggested that COVID-19 pandemic lockdown was associated with an increased in the incidence of GBV especially in homes.