Assessment of Sex-For-Grade on Attitude of Students in Bayelsa Sate College of Health Technology, Otuogidi, Bayelsa State, Nigeria

Sex-for-Grade has been seen as a corrupt practice bedeviling the nation’s educational system. This study was purposed to assess sex-for-grade on the attitude of students in Bayelsa Sstate College of Health Technology, Otuogidi, Bayelsa State, Nigeria. The study adopted a descriptive research design upon a sample of 310 students in Bayelsa State College of Health Technology, Otuogidi, Nigeria. The study used multi-stage sampling techniques to select sample for the study. A self-designed instrument was used to elicit data from respondents. The study used pie-chart, mean and standard deviation to present and analyze data. The null hypothesis was tested at .05 level of significance. Results showed that 49% of students had experienced sexual harassment in higher institutions in one form or the other. Another finding was that verbal sexual harassment was 76% extent of occurrence which makes it most frequently occurring form of sex-for-grade in higher institutions. The study discovered that p value of .050 for a 2-tailed test was greater than the chosen alpha of .05. Hence, the null hypothesis of no significant difference between male and female students’ attitudes and perception toward sex-for-grade was gender unbiased. The study concludes that sex-for-grade is a frequently increasing act in tertiary institutions and the attitudes and perception of students towards sex-for-grade is non-directional. Among other recommendations, the study recommends that government should through the relevant agencies such as Ministry of Education, Accreditation Boards/Councils and Tertiary Institutions to ensure the establishment of effective guidance and counselling centers in all tertiary institutions in Nigeria.

Keyword: sex-for-grade, sexual harassment, attitude, perception, and students.