SEX FOR GRADE EXCHANGE IN SOME TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS IN NIGERIA: DYNAMICS AND SOLUTION
Muhammad Garba Yauri 1 & Dalhatu Dikko 2
Department of Sociology, Al-Qalam University, Katsina 1&2
Corresponding Email: muhammadgarbayauri@auk.edu.ng 1
Abstract
Sex for grade or sex for mark: Refers to the unfair use and or molestation of female students, particularly for the purpose of obtaining sexual favours in exchange for academic benefits. It involves a cost-benefit relationship where one party (the lecturer or authority figure) gains personal satisfaction or advantage, while the other (the student) suffers harm, coercion, or loss of dignity in the process. The objective of this study was to examine factors that push female students into sexual relationships. The study adopted mixed methods of data collection with a sample size of 362 respondents for both quantitative and qualitative methods. Social exchange theory was adopted as the theoretical framework. The study found that the majority of the female students who present themselves to male lecturers seeking favour against the regulations of the institutions are weak students with poor academic performance. The study established the existence of a strong relationship between poor academic performance of female students and their vulnerability to exploitation by some lecturers. The paper concluded that our desperation to pass exams has made some female students easy prey for lecturers who have the habit of exchanging grades for sexual gratification. And recommended strict implementation of the law that stipulates expulsion of both lecturers and students who are caught in cases of sexual harassment and trade by barter with sex and grade. Parents should desist from sending their female children to tertiary institutions if they know they do not have the mentality, ability, and brilliance to cope with studies at the tertiary institutions of learning.
Keywords: Exploitation, Female Students, Higher Institutions, Sex-Grade Exchange, Sexual Exploitation.
