A descriptive phenomenological study of school-related gender-based violence: lived experiences of symbolic violence, harassment, and systemic complicity in a mixed secondary school in Nairobi, Kenya.
Saved in:
| Title: | A descriptive phenomenological study of school-related gender-based violence: lived experiences of symbolic violence, harassment, and systemic complicity in a mixed secondary school in Nairobi, Kenya. |
|---|---|
| Authors: | Mokaya AG; Africa Health Research Institute, Nelson R. Mandela School of Medicine, 3rd Floor, K-RITH Tower Building, 719 Umbilo Rd, Umbilo, Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, 4001, South Africa. aggrey.mokaya@ahri.org.; Centre for Public Health Research, Kenya Medical Research Institute, Nairobi, Kenya. aggrey.mokaya@ahri.org., Kikuvi G; School of Public Health, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Juja, Kenya., Mutai J; Centre for Public Health Research, Kenya Medical Research Institute, Nairobi, Kenya., Memiah P; University of Maryland School of Graduate Studies, Baltimore, MD, USA. |
| Source: | BMC public health [BMC Public Health] 2025 Nov 12; Vol. 25 (1), pp. 3926. Date of Electronic Publication: 2025 Nov 12. |
| Publication Type: | Journal Article |
| Language: | English |
| Journal Info: | Publisher: BioMed Central Country of Publication: England NLM ID: 100968562 Publication Model: Electronic Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1471-2458 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 14712458 NLM ISO Abbreviation: BMC Public Health Subsets: MEDLINE |
| Imprint Name(s): | Original Publication: London : BioMed Central, [2001- |
| MeSH Terms: | Gender-Based Violence*/psychology , Schools* , Students*/psychology, Humans ; Male ; Female ; Adolescent ; Kenya ; Focus Groups ; Qualitative Research |
| Abstract: | Competing Interests: Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: This study was conducted in accordance with the ethical principles outlined in the Declaration of Helsinki. Ethical approval was obtained from the University of Eastern Africa Baraton Research and Ethics Committee (B132019), with renewal under reference number UEAB/REC/02/03/2020. Written informed consent was obtained from the parents or guardians of all adolescent participants, and assent was obtained from the participants themselves – including consent for publication of de-identified results. Authorization for the study was also given by the State Department of Early Learning and Basic Education, Nairobi County Regional Commissioner, Nairobi County Education Office and the National Commission for Science Technology and Innovation (A23752). The study adhered to the ethical principles of respect for persons, beneficence, and justice, ensuring that participation was voluntary, confidential, and without coercion. Participants were informed of their right to withdraw from the study at any point without facing any repercussions. Confidentiality measures included the use of pseudonyms in transcripts and reports, secure storage of audio files, and restricted access to data by authorized research team members. Additionally, efforts were made to ensure that discussions during FGDs did not retraumatize participants. Counselling services within the school were available to provide support if any participant required psychological help. The counsellor monitored participants’ wellbeing, provided immediate support when needed, and was available for private follow-up conversations after each session. Participants were reminded that they could decline to answer questions or withdraw at any point without consequence. Consent for publication: Written informed consent for publication of de-identified quotations and masked details was obtained from the parents or legal guardians of all adolescent participants, alongside written assent from the adolescents themselves. All names used in the manuscript are pseudonyms, and no real names or institutional identifiers are included. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests. Background: School-related gender-based violence (SRGBV) affects students' mental health, academic performance, and overall well-being. This study explored the lived experiences of adolescents facing SRGBV in a mixed secondary school in Nairobi County, examining the mechanisms through which gendered violence is perceived to be perpetuated and normalized. Methodology: A qualitative descriptive phenomenological approach was employed. Data were collected through two separate focus group discussions (one with six girls, one with six boys), comprising twelve Form 1 students aged 14-17 years (median = 15), who had joined secondary school two months before data collection. Discussions were audio-recorded, transcribed, and thematically analyzed using Braun and Clarke's six-phase framework, with manual coding to ensure iterative engagement with the data. Findings: Participants perceived a pervasive culture of power imbalances and SRGBV within the school. They described older male students as physically excluding and verbally silencing younger peers, and coercive sexual behaviors as becoming normalized. Custodial figures, including teachers and parents, were described as engaging in survivor-blaming, fostering a culture of silence that reinforced gender hierarchies. Peer dynamics also shaped experiences, with some older female students reinforcing patriarchal norms and pressuring younger girls to conform. These interactions were perceived to contribute to psychosocial harm, including fear, isolation, mistrust of authority, and emotional withdrawal. Conclusion: In this school, participants described SRGBV as operating through interwoven structural and cultural mechanisms, with symbolic violence central to the internalization of harm and reproduction of inequalities. While these insights may resonate with wider patterns, they remain context-specific and exploratory. Addressing SRGBV requires interventions targeting custodial and peer complicity and the cultural normalization of violence. A holistic approach that combines structural reform, cultural transformation, and psychological care is critical to fostering equitable educational spaces. (© 2025. The Author(s).) |
| References: | BMJ Glob Health. 2022 Feb;7(2):. (PMID: 35210310) J Adolesc Health. 2009 Sep;45(3):246-52. (PMID: 19699420) Syst Rev. 2019 Feb 25;8(1):59. (PMID: 30803436) BMC Public Health. 2023 May 30;23(1):1012. (PMID: 37254071) Lancet. 2015 Apr 18;385(9977):1580-9. (PMID: 25467578) BMC Psychiatry. 2024 Apr 12;24(1):277. (PMID: 38609874) Trauma Violence Abuse. 2023 Dec;24(5):3346-3362. (PMID: 36239553) Reprod Health. 2021 Dec 14;18(1):247. (PMID: 34906175) Prev Sci. 2019 May;20(4):544-554. (PMID: 30993591) BMC Public Health. 2014 Sep 29;14:1017. (PMID: 25270531) Pediatr Clin North Am. 2023 Dec;70(6):1153-1170. (PMID: 37865437) Ital J Pediatr. 2019 Jun 27;45(1):76. (PMID: 31248434) J Adv Nurs. 2001 Feb;33(3):343-9. (PMID: 11251721) BMC Public Health. 2024 Mar 6;24(1):729. (PMID: 38448932) BMJ Open. 2022 Oct 17;12(10):e066777. (PMID: 36253036) BMC Womens Health. 2020 Oct 12;20(1):229. (PMID: 33046045) J Adv Nurs. 2009 Mar;65(3):663-71. (PMID: 19222664) Nurs Open. 2019 Apr 07;6(3):733-739. (PMID: 31367394) Pan Afr Med J. 2022 Dec 07;43:180. (PMID: 36879633) |
| Grant Information: | INV-033558 United States GATES Gates Foundation; Del-22-007 Sub-Saharan African Network for TB/HIV Research Excellence (SANTHE); 19275 Gilead Sciences; 227167/A/23/Z United Kingdom WT_ Wellcome Trust; INV-033558 United States GATES Gates Foundation; United Kingdom WT_ Wellcome Trust |
| Contributed Indexing: | Keywords: Adolescents; Custodial neglect; Hierarchical power; Kenya; Peer complicity; Psychosocial harm; Qualitative study; SRGBV; School-related gender-based violence; Symbolic violence |
| Entry Date(s): | Date Created: 20251113 Date Completed: 20251113 Latest Revision: 20251116 |
| Update Code: | 20251116 |
| PubMed Central ID: | PMC12613922 |
| DOI: | 10.1186/s12889-025-25341-0 |
| PMID: | 41225510 |
| Database: | MEDLINE |
Full Text 
Full Text Finder 
Nájsť tento článok vo Web of Science | Abstract: | Competing Interests: Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: This study was conducted in accordance with the ethical principles outlined in the Declaration of Helsinki. Ethical approval was obtained from the University of Eastern Africa Baraton Research and Ethics Committee (B132019), with renewal under reference number UEAB/REC/02/03/2020. Written informed consent was obtained from the parents or guardians of all adolescent participants, and assent was obtained from the participants themselves – including consent for publication of de-identified results. Authorization for the study was also given by the State Department of Early Learning and Basic Education, Nairobi County Regional Commissioner, Nairobi County Education Office and the National Commission for Science Technology and Innovation (A23752). The study adhered to the ethical principles of respect for persons, beneficence, and justice, ensuring that participation was voluntary, confidential, and without coercion. Participants were informed of their right to withdraw from the study at any point without facing any repercussions. Confidentiality measures included the use of pseudonyms in transcripts and reports, secure storage of audio files, and restricted access to data by authorized research team members. Additionally, efforts were made to ensure that discussions during FGDs did not retraumatize participants. Counselling services within the school were available to provide support if any participant required psychological help. The counsellor monitored participants’ wellbeing, provided immediate support when needed, and was available for private follow-up conversations after each session. Participants were reminded that they could decline to answer questions or withdraw at any point without consequence. Consent for publication: Written informed consent for publication of de-identified quotations and masked details was obtained from the parents or legal guardians of all adolescent participants, alongside written assent from the adolescents themselves. All names used in the manuscript are pseudonyms, and no real names or institutional identifiers are included. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests.<br />Background: School-related gender-based violence (SRGBV) affects students' mental health, academic performance, and overall well-being. This study explored the lived experiences of adolescents facing SRGBV in a mixed secondary school in Nairobi County, examining the mechanisms through which gendered violence is perceived to be perpetuated and normalized.<br />Methodology: A qualitative descriptive phenomenological approach was employed. Data were collected through two separate focus group discussions (one with six girls, one with six boys), comprising twelve Form 1 students aged 14-17 years (median = 15), who had joined secondary school two months before data collection. Discussions were audio-recorded, transcribed, and thematically analyzed using Braun and Clarke's six-phase framework, with manual coding to ensure iterative engagement with the data.<br />Findings: Participants perceived a pervasive culture of power imbalances and SRGBV within the school. They described older male students as physically excluding and verbally silencing younger peers, and coercive sexual behaviors as becoming normalized. Custodial figures, including teachers and parents, were described as engaging in survivor-blaming, fostering a culture of silence that reinforced gender hierarchies. Peer dynamics also shaped experiences, with some older female students reinforcing patriarchal norms and pressuring younger girls to conform. These interactions were perceived to contribute to psychosocial harm, including fear, isolation, mistrust of authority, and emotional withdrawal.<br />Conclusion: In this school, participants described SRGBV as operating through interwoven structural and cultural mechanisms, with symbolic violence central to the internalization of harm and reproduction of inequalities. While these insights may resonate with wider patterns, they remain context-specific and exploratory. Addressing SRGBV requires interventions targeting custodial and peer complicity and the cultural normalization of violence. A holistic approach that combines structural reform, cultural transformation, and psychological care is critical to fostering equitable educational spaces.<br /> (© 2025. The Author(s).) |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 1471-2458 |
| DOI: | 10.1186/s12889-025-25341-0 |