Effect of Client-centred and RealityTherapies on the Coping Strategies of Sexually Harassed Students in Tertiary Institutions in Taraba State, Nigeria

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Matsayi Lucy Aji

Taraba State University, Jalingo, Nigeria

: Int J Ment Health Psychiatry

Abstract

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Statement of the problem: Globally sexual harassment is common social problem in educational settings. It is becoming a cankerworm that is eating deep in Nigerians tertiary institutions. Research focusing on the effects of client-centred and reality therapies on the coping strategies of sexually harassed students in tertiary institutions is limited. This study examined the effects of client-centred and reality therapies on the coping strategies of sexually harassed students in tertiary institutions in Taraba State, Nigeria. It also attempted to find out the gender difference in the effect of client-centred and reality therapies on the coping strategies of sexually harassed students. Methodology & theoretical orientation: The researchers employed a quasi-experimental and pretest -posttest design with control group. The statistical population comprised all the 250 sexually harassed students in tertiary institutions, out of which 20 students were selected using convenience sampling. The students who have been sexually harassed were then randomly assigned to the experimental and control groups. The experimental group subsequently underwent six 60-minute sessions of reality therapy, while the control group received placebo treatment on drug abuse. The research tool included Sexual Harassedment Battery (SHB). Inferential statistics of Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) was used to analyze the data. Cronbach Alpha coefficient was used to estimate the reliability coefficient of 0.79 for the SHB. Findings: The following findings were recorded: (i) Client-centred and reality therapies had effectively increased the coping strategies of students and (ii) there is no significant mean difference between male and female students in the effectiveness of client-centred and reality therapies on coping strategies of students. Conclusion: Based on the outcome of the study, it was concluded that psychological interventions using client-centred and reality therapies successfully increase the coping strategies of students who have been sexual harassed tertiary institutions in Taraba State. Hence, conscious efforts must be made by lecturers, guidance counsellors, school management, and the State Government to focus on using these therapies and provide good counselling on gender factors.

Biography

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Lucy Matsayi Aji studied guidance and counseling at Taraba State University. She has been working as a counsellor and a lecturer in the formation of counsellors, occupational therapists and teachers since 2019. She has been doing scientific work and has published over 10 articles about psychological wellbeing, psychological and socialogical adjustment, psychosocial factors among other since 2017.