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Impact of Gender-Based Violence Prevention Education on Knowledge of Support Services among Female University Students in Nigeria

Abstract

Gender-based violence (GBV) is an important public health and social concern that can have serious physical, psychological, sexual, and social consequences for individuals and communities. Female university students may experience different forms of gender-based violence, including sexual harassment, sexual violence, intimate partner violence, psychological abuse, stalking, coercion, and other forms of gender-related abuse. Knowledge of available support services is important because awareness of where and how to obtain appropriate assistance can facilitate timely reporting, healthcare seeking, psychosocial support, safety planning, legal assistance, and referral. Gender-based violence prevention education provides female university students with information about the meaning and forms of GBV, risk factors, warning signs, prevention strategies, consent, healthy relationships, available support services, reporting mechanisms, confidentiality, and appropriate pathways for obtaining assistance. Knowledge of support services refers to students' ability to identify available healthcare, counselling, psychosocial, legal, security, institutional, and other appropriate services for individuals affected by or at risk of gender-based violence. In Nigeria, limited awareness, stigma, fear of retaliation, misconceptions, concerns about confidentiality, and inadequate knowledge of available institutional and community support systems may prevent affected individuals from accessing appropriate assistance. Effective GBV prevention education may improve students' knowledge of available support services and strengthen their ability to identify appropriate sources of assistance. Against this background, this study investigates the impact of gender-based violence prevention education on knowledge of support services among female university students in Nigeria. The study is anchored on the Health Belief Model, Social Cognitive Theory, and Knowledge-Attitude-Practice framework. The Health Belief Model explains preventive and help-seeking behaviour through perceived susceptibility, perceived severity, perceived benefits, perceived barriers, and cues to action, providing a basis for understanding students' awareness and potential use of GBV-related support services. Social Cognitive Theory emphasizes the interaction between knowledge, self-efficacy, social influences, behavioural capabilities, and environmental conditions in shaping prevention and help-seeking behaviour. The Knowledge-Attitude-Practice framework provides a basis for examining how improved knowledge and attitudes resulting from GBV prevention education may influence knowledge of available support services. Collectively, these theoretical perspectives provide a suitable framework for explaining how GBV prevention education may influence knowledge of support services among female university students in Nigeria. The study will adopt a quantitative quasi-experimental research design. Primary data will be collected from female undergraduate students in selected universities in Nigeria using a structured anonymous self-administered questionnaire. A multistage sampling technique will be employed to select states, universities, faculties or departments, academic levels, and eligible female students. Where feasible, selected student groups will be assigned to intervention and comparison groups. Students in the intervention group will receive structured GBV prevention education covering the meaning and forms of GBV, sexual harassment, sexual violence, intimate partner violence, consent, healthy relationships, risk factors, prevention strategies, safety planning, reporting options, confidentiality, and available healthcare, counselling, psychosocial, legal, security, and university-based support services. Knowledge of support services will be assessed using indicators such as students' ability to identify relevant university counselling services, healthcare facilities, psychosocial support providers, appropriate reporting channels, legal support options, security services, and other relevant referral pathways. Descriptive statistics will be used to summarize students' sociodemographic characteristics, baseline knowledge, exposure to GBV prevention education, and knowledge of support services. Inferential statistical techniques, including chi-square tests, paired-sample tests, independent-sample tests, and multiple regression analysis, will be used to determine the impact of GBV prevention education on knowledge of support services. Appropriate diagnostic tests will also be conducted to assess the reliability of the research instrument, model assumptions, goodness of fit, and robustness of the findings. The study is expected to find that GBV prevention education has a significant positive impact on knowledge of support services among female university students in Nigeria. Students exposed to structured GBV prevention education are expected to demonstrate improved understanding of different forms of gender-based violence and greater ability to identify appropriate sources of support. Education may improve awareness of university counselling services, healthcare providers, psychosocial support, reporting mechanisms, legal assistance, security services, and referral pathways. It may also reduce misconceptions and increase students' confidence in seeking appropriate assistance for themselves or supporting peers who may experience GBV. However, improved knowledge may not automatically result in service utilization because students may continue to face barriers such as stigma, fear of retaliation, concerns about confidentiality, perceived lack of institutional support, social pressure, and limited availability of specialized services. Consequently, GBV prevention education is expected to be most effective when supported by confidential and accessible support services, clear institutional reporting procedures, trained professionals, survivor-centred responses, and strong university policies addressing gender-based violence. The study is expected to contribute to the literature on gender-based violence prevention, women's health, health education, sexual and reproductive health, university student health, violence prevention, and public health in Nigeria by providing empirical evidence on the impact of GBV prevention education on knowledge of support services among female university students. The findings will provide useful information to the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Federal Ministry of Women Affairs, National Universities Commission, university administrations, student health centres, counselling units, healthcare professionals, gender and social welfare officers, development partners, and policymakers regarding strategies for strengthening GBV prevention and support systems. The study will also provide evidence-based recommendations for integrating GBV prevention education into university health programmes, improving awareness of support services, strengthening confidential reporting and referral systems, enhancing survivor-centred support, reducing stigma, and promoting safe and supportive university environments for female students across Nigeria.

Keywords: Gender-based violence prevention education, knowledge of support services, female university students, gender-based violence, GBV prevention, women's health, health education, sexual violence, counselling services, psychosocial support, public health, Nigeria.