Barriers to Rape Reporting for Nigerian Women: The Case of Female University Students

This article presents the key findings of a research project that investigated perceived
relevance among barriers to reporting rape for female university students. Existing literature suggests that the refusal of victims of rape and other forms of sexual
victimisation in Nigeria to report their experiences have social underpinnings. Using qualitative information gathered from in-depth interviews of twenty-three rape victims selected through snowball sampling, the study found that rather than social stigma, the
fear of retaliation by their assailants dominated the concerns of the university rape
victims. Other important barriers to rape reporting include lack of confidence in the
criminal justice system, social stereotypes and prejudice against victims. Apart from the
need for the government and private sector to intervene in the inadequacies of on-campus accommodation of public universities, campus-based rape and sexual assault prevention strategies could also be developed from collaboration among professional counsellors, students, faculty, health centre workers, and campus police.