A study on knowledge and prevalence of sexual harassment and abuse among schoolboys in Colombo District.

Objectives To determine knowledge of sexual harassment and abuse among schoolboys aged 14 to 19 years, assess prevalence, frequency and severity of various types of sexual harassment and abuse, assess frequency of reporting incidents of sexual harassment and abuse to a trustworthy person, determine reasons for non-reporting and determine characteristics specific to sexually abused schoolboys. Design A descriptive cross sectional study Method Data was collected from 242 schoolboys aged 14-19 years from 2 Colombo district schools using a pre-tested and self-administered questionnaire. Results Among the 242 students surveyed, 3.7% had knowledge on sexual harassment and 31% had knowledge on sexual abuse. 190 (78.5%) students had experienced sexual harassment and 53 (21.9%) had experienced sexual abuse. Commonest type of sexual abuse was oral sex with a prevalence of 9.5%. 10.7% students had been subjected to penetrative sex. Commonest reason for not reporting an incident of sexual harassment and sexual abuse was fear. Prevalence of sexual abuse was highest in the lower social class. Mother working abroad, being separated from both mother and father, not having any reliable friends were possible risk factors for being subjected to sexual abuse. Conclusions Prevalence of sexual abuse in schoolboys exceeds global figures. Prevalence of sexual harassment is on par with global figures. Knowledge on sexual harassment was extremely low and on sexual abuse relatively low.