Stolen innocence: Students' perceptions of sexual violence against female students in Jamaican high schools

This thesis is on a sample of Jamaican high school students perceptions of sexual exploitation of female students in Jamaican high schools. This exploratory study contributes to the developing literature on sexual violence. The students’ subjective construction of sexual violence and some major propositions of the macrosociological theory of rape were documented. Twenty Jamaican high school students responded to semi-structured questions in a pair personal in-depth interview and focus groups. The interviews were followed by a 5-point Likert scale questionnaire, which was based on some arguments of the macrosociological theory of rape. Findings were analysed using thematic coding concepts. Narrative structure is used to present the interpretation of participants’ responses. It is concluded that students’ definitions of sexual violence and the impact of the socio-cultural and learning environments are essential in understanding the Jamaican society’s response to female students at risk of sexual violation by teachers.