CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1       BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Instability, abuse, and frequent tragic experiences are becoming everyday occurrences as we watch the television, scroll the internet, and chat to family and friends around the world. Mental disorder seems to be on the rise, but many young adults are not getting care that could help them lessen the impact of their illness and allow them the tools to live a more productive and healthier life. Pressures and struggles abound for today's youth, both in their own lives and in the world around them. Many of the problems confronting our youth today, such as bullying, suicide, the onset of serious mental disorders, the consequences of trauma, and gender identity prejudice, necessitate our time and focus, as well as new programs and guidance for how to defend and inspire the next generation.

 Mental health is more than just a shortage of mental illnesses. The WHO's constitution emphasizes the positive dimension of mental health: "Health is a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being, not just the absence of disease or infirmity." Mental health concepts include subjective well-being, perceived self-efficacy, autonomy, competence, intergenerational dependence, and recognition of the ability to. It's also been described as a state of happiness in which people feel good about themselves, recognize their talents, be able to deal with life's usual pressures, perform productively and fruitfully, and contribute to society.Individuals and societies can improve their mental health by improving their competencies and allowing them to accomplish their self-determined goals. Mental health should be a problem for everyone, not just those who suffer from mental illness.Mental health issues impact the entire population, not just a small, dysfunctional group. As a result, they pose a significant threat to global growth. Mental disabilities affect all, but the young, homeless, unemployed, people with low income, victims of crime, migrants and refugees, aboriginal peoples, children and youth, abused mothers, and the elderly are at a greater risk.Physical, and social well-being are all intertwined, essential threads of life for everyone. Mental well-being is becoming more important to the general well-being of people, families, and countries as our perception of this interdependent relationship increases. Unfortunately, emotional well-being and mental disabilities are not given the same priority as physical health in most parts of the world. Rather, they've been largely overlooked or dismissed.

1.2       STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Self-reported ranged from 164/1000 to 197/1000 for girls and 66/1000 to 88/1000 for boys, according to a global meta-analysis of child violence prevalence estimates (Stoltenborgh et al, 2011). Adults are more likely to experience sexual harassment at the hands of their family partners, with estimates ranging from 10 to 50 percent of women (WHO, 2005). In a multi-county survey, up to 30% of respondents said their first sexual encounter was coerced (WHO, 2005). Rape is an especially painful invasion of a person's personal space (Kessler et al., 1995; Resnick et al, 1993; Koss et al, 2003).men are sexually assaulted and tend to suffer from the same mental health issues as women.(Stevens, 2007; Tolin & Foa, 2006; Breslau et

al, 1997; Ullman & Filipas, 2005).Many victims will suffer shock, acute panic, numbness, confusion, feelings of helplessness, and/or denial immediately after an attack, as well as self-blame, hyperarousal, and elevated levels of anxiety (Campbell, Dworkin & Cabral, 2009; Jewkes& Dartnall, 2008; Chen et al., 2010; Vickerman & Margolin, 2009). PTSD affects one-third of rape survivors (WHO, 2009; Yuan, Koss, & Stone, 2006). Symptoms usually worsen over the first three weeks before gradually improving for the next three months (Campbell, 2001; Rothbaum et al, 1992).Many patients' emotions will pass within this time frame, but for some, signs will last much longer (Dunmore, Clark, & Ehlers, 2001; McNally, Bryant, & Ehlers, 2003). Rothbaum et al (1992) discovered that half of people who experienced PTSD after being raped were already struggling three months later. Similarly, even after three months of counseling, half of the victims are already stressed (Tarrier et al, 1999; Kilpatrick et al, 1992). Up to 16 years since the incident, high levels of fear and distress, as well as patients meeting PTSD diagnosis criteria, have been discovered (Kilpatrick et al, 1992; Ellis, Atkenson, & Calhoun, 1981).

For a number of years, child sexual exploitation has held a comfortable status relative not only to physical and emotional abuse but to the whole gamut of childhood abuse but to the entire gamut of childhood adversity. This research goes into more detail on the links between child sexual exploitation and poor mental wellbeing and negative mental health outcomes. However, in our opinion, child sexual exploitation often arises from a nexus of adversity, and its effect is mediated by a variety of family, societal, psychological, and biological variables.

1.3       OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY

I.         To examine the impact of sexual abuse on victims.

II.      To determine whether sexual harassment only affects one gender.

III.   To determine whether the victims are the cause of sexual abuse.

1.4       RESEARCH QUESTIONS

I.         What are impacts do sexual abuse leave on victims?

II.      Does sexual abuse affect only one gender?

III.   Do victims cause sexual abuse?

1.5       SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The findings of the report would support students, guidance counselors, caregivers. and prospective scholars who would want to research on same topic ,  since it does with the issue of trauma. and the give ability to understand when someone is being sexually assaulted

1.6       SCOPE OF THE STUDY

To Examine the impact of sexual molestation on mental health of victims,the scope of the study was limited to schools in Uromi, Edo state.

1.7       LIMITATION OF STUDY

The study's focus was limited due to a shortage of funding, research resources,time restrictions and victims refusing to speak up.

1.8       DEFINITION OF TERMS

SEXUAL MOLESTATION:The World Health Organization defines mental health as "a state of well-being in which a person recognizes his or her own talents, can cope with normal life pressures, can function productively and fruitfully, and can contribute to his or her community."

MENTAL HEALTH: Sexual harassment, also known as molestation, is when one person engages in coercive sexual acts toward another. It is often carried out by the use of intimidation or by taking advantage of another person.

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