CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1     The Background to the Study

At the secondary school level, most female students are at the adolescent stage, a developmental period which can decide a person’s current and future health. This is because it is at this time that individuals begin to make independent decisions about health-risk and health-enhancing behaviour. According to Cha (2005), Physiological, psychological and cognitive changes associated with sexual dispositions are experienced during this period. Thus, it is not unusual for adolescents to have the physical characteristics of adults in early adolescence and yet have the limited psychological, social and cognitive development consistent with childhood. Risky premarital sexual behaviour, one of the major problems of adolescence, is a result of the developmental characteristics of adolescence.

No other single age group sustains the negative health outcomes from their sexual behaviour as the adolescents. Adolescent girls contribute 55% of all clandestine abortions in the country, and the national HIV zero-prevalence figure for age 15-19 years is 3.6% (Bankole, Oye-Adeniran, Singh, Adewole, Sedgh and Hussain, 2006 and Fatusi and Blum, 2008).Sexual immorality is an area which many people find strange because it is one of the most complex and most controversial areas to venture into in contemporary times. Many people would think of the discussion on sexual immorality as a taboo that culture or custom forbids. Adults in the community frown at sexual immorality because it is a taboo and it brings shame to the family and relations of girls who happen to be victims of the act.

What is most astonishing is that in Kogi state,  female students in secondary schools cannot be isolated from this contagion affecting adolescents. Sexual immorality among  female students in Kogi state secondary schools is a menace in the society. According to Omotunde (1987) the adults have created the conditions for the spread of sexual immorality by exposing the youths to temptations. This they do by selling pornographic films, books and sexually suggestive music which materials stimulate adolescents’ curiosity and engender their ability to experiment on what they see, read and hear.

Coupled with the enhanced biological growth resulting from the chemicals from food crops, secondary school girls consider themselves adults capable of all sexual requirements. Often, the religious and cultural restraints are ignored. According to Adeola (2011), “there are many school girls out there who are going through difficult and horrible situations either because they did not know the problem or they thought the situation was not going to be that terrible. For many of the girls who are caught up in sexual immorality, it has been just a game of daring the impossible after knowing well that the horrors of falling into it are enormous”. This study, therefore, tries to find out the main causes of promiscuity among secondary school students in Ovia North East of Edo state.

1.2     Statement of the Problem

There are many outcries against sexual immorality in the Nigerian society today. The involvement of teenagers, adolescents, youths and students in sexual immorality has become a serious problem and concern to parents, religious leaders, school authorities, government in particular and the society in general. female students in secondary schools cannot be isolated from this contagion affecting adolescents. Parents can no longer speak for or trust their daughters as not being involved. The level of sexual immorality among some female students has highly increased. Schools have become a comfortable place for sexual immorality for some female students. Wearing of seductive attires has become fashionable among teenagers. At the secondary school level, the virtue of virginity is becoming unthinkable, old fashion and abominable. Virginity among female students is not as common as it was in years past. Today, some female students are deflowered at a very young age. Some of them have become pregnant and have eventually dropped out of school; some of them have opted for abortion and in the process have either lost their lives or have their wombs damaged. Also, some of them have contracted deadly sexually transmitted diseases. How can this scourge be reduced such that female students will abide by their religious injunctions? These among others are what this study is set out to investigate towards making some suggestions for reducing the effects of the sexual scourge among female students in secondary schools in Ovia North East of Edo state.

1.3     Objectives of the study

This research aims at examining “Causes of Sexual Promiscuity among Secondary School Students in Ovia North east of Edo State.” The study seeks to achieve its aims through the following objectives which are:

1.       To find out the causes of sexual promiscuity among secondary school students in Ovia North east of Edo State.

2.       To find out the effects of sexual promiscuity on secondary school students in Ovia North east of Edo State.

3.       To suggest possible ways of minimizing sexual promiscuity among  secondary school students in Ovia North east of Edo State.

1.4     Research Questions

1.       What are the causes of sexual promiscuity among secondary school students in Ovia North east of Edo State?

2.       What are the effects of sexual promiscuity on secondary school students in Ovia North east of Edo State?

3.       What are the possible ways of minimizing sexual promiscuity among  secondary school students in Ovia North east of Edo State?

1.5     Hypotheses

1.       There is no significant difference between male and female students opinion on the causes of sexual promiscuity among secondary school students in Ovia North east of Edo State.

2.       There is no significant difference in the opinion of teachers and students on the effects of sexual promiscuity among secondary school students in Ovia North east of Edo State.

3.       There is no significant difference between the views of teachers and students on possible ways of minimizing sexual promiscuity among secondary school students in Ovia North east of Edo State.

1.6     Significance of the Study

The study would help to enlighten the female students in secondary schools on the causes and effects of sexual immorality. The idea will be used to dissuade them from such behavioural patterns.

The  study  would  help  the  families  to  perform  their  roles  to  their  children effectively, train them in the way of the Lord and make adequate provision to meet up their basic needs.

The  study would  help  the  schools  not  to  have  a  loose  administration  where students will be free to do what they like. The schools will enforce strict discipline and engage the students with one activity or the other.  When the students are engaged properly they will not have time to misbehave.

They study would help the ministries of Education to strengthen the inspectorate and monitoring unit to supervise schools and organize seminar for the students

1.7     Scope and Delimitation of the Study

This research work focuses mainly on the causes and effects of sexual promiscuity among secondary school students of Ovia North east of Edo State. It concentrates on students in secondary schools in Ovia North east of Edo State. The study would have been carried out in all the secondary schools in Edo State but was restricted to senior secondary schools in Ovia North east of Edo State.

1.8     Basic Assumptions

This research work is based on the following assumptions:

1.       That sexual promiscuity is on the increase among students in secondary schools in Ovia North east of Edo State.

2.       That school authorities understand the implications of sexual promiscuity in relation to the academic and moral development of their students.

3.       That students in secondary schools are ignorant of the effects of sexual promiscuity.

4.       That sexual promiscuity is now common as a way of life in this modern day civilization.

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