From Left to right: Board member, Adesola Adesokan; Programme Manager, Oluwatoyin Adebayo; Principal Investigator, Prof Adefunke Ekine; Co Principal investigator, Grace Appiah and Rev’d Elekima Ekine. Photo: Ademola Adegbite.
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A pilot intervention aimed at tackling school-related gender-based violence in public primary schools in Oyo State trained teachers and pupils on preventive strategies, reporting mechanisms and child protection principles.
Speaking during a press conference held at the International Conference Centre, University of Ibadan on Thursday, the Principal Investigator of the project, Prof. Adefunke Ekine, said the programme was designed to reduce incidents of violence in schools while strengthening child protection systems.
The intervention, implemented by the Youthcare Development and Empowerment Initiative, targeted teachers and pupils across selected schools in Ibadan using what the organisation described as a two-pronged approach to address violence within school environments.
She said school-related gender-based violence remained a serious concern affecting many pupils across the country.
“School-related gender-based violence is not an abstract concept. For many children, it is a daily reality. It manifests through bullying, harassment, emotional abuse and other harmful practices within and around school environments.
“Such experiences affect pupils’ academic performance, school attendance, mental health and long-term development. When children do not feel safe in school, learning outcomes inevitably suffer.
“Addressing violence in schools is therefore not just a disciplinary matter but also a child protection and education quality issue,” she said.
Ekine explained that the pilot project involved more than 1,800 pupils and 200 teachers drawn from 45 public primary schools in Ibadan metropolis.
She said 136 teachers and 854 pupils were directly trained across 20 selected schools during the intervention.
She explained that teachers received training on child protection principles, positive discipline approaches, identification and response to school-related gender-based violence, as well as documentation and reporting procedures.
The don added that pupils were trained to understand their rights, recognise inappropriate behaviours, report abuse safely and promote respect among their peers.
Ekine noted that the intervention followed earlier studies conducted by the organisation which revealed a high prevalence of school violence among primary school pupils.
She said a multi-state study conducted in 2020 across Lagos, Oyo, Ogun, Edo, Kwara and the Federal Capital Territory showed that about 47 per cent of primary school pupils had experienced one form of school-related gender-based violence.
Ekine added that a follow-up study funded by the Tertiary Education Trust Fund in 2023 further examined the issue across Osun, Ekiti, Delta, Rivers, Kogi and Benue states.
She also recalled that a previous Youthcare project titled “Lend a Voice” recorded 91 reported cases of school-related violence in six primary schools within six months, involving pupils as young as six years old.
Ekine said the persistence of the problem was often linked to the normalisation of violent discipline, silence around harassment and weak reporting systems in many schools.
She added that the pilot project introduced structured reporting registers in participating schools to strengthen documentation, accountability and response to cases of abuse.
Speaking during a press conference held at the International Conference Centre, University of Ibadan on Thursday, the Principal Investigator of the project, Prof. Adefunke Ekine, said the programme was designed to reduce incidents of violence in schools while strengthening child protection systems.
The intervention, implemented by the Youthcare Development and Empowerment Initiative, targeted teachers and pupils across selected schools in Ibadan using what the organisation described as a two-pronged approach to address violence within school environments.
She said school-related gender-based violence remained a serious concern affecting many pupils across the country.
“School-related gender-based violence is not an abstract concept. For many children, it is a daily reality. It manifests through bullying, harassment, emotional abuse and other harmful practices within and around school environments.
“Such experiences affect pupils’ academic performance, school attendance, mental health and long-term development. When children do not feel safe in school, learning outcomes inevitably suffer.
“Addressing violence in schools is therefore not just a disciplinary matter but also a child protection and education quality issue,” she said.
Ekine explained that the pilot project involved more than 1,800 pupils and 200 teachers drawn from 45 public primary schools in Ibadan metropolis.
She said 136 teachers and 854 pupils were directly trained across 20 selected schools during the intervention.
She explained that teachers received training on child protection principles, positive discipline approaches, identification and response to school-related gender-based violence, as well as documentation and reporting procedures.
The don added that pupils were trained to understand their rights, recognise inappropriate behaviours, report abuse safely and promote respect among their peers.
Ekine noted that the intervention followed earlier studies conducted by the organisation which revealed a high prevalence of school violence among primary school pupils.
She said a multi-state study conducted in 2020 across Lagos, Oyo, Ogun, Edo, Kwara and the Federal Capital Territory showed that about 47 per cent of primary school pupils had experienced one form of school-related gender-based violence.
Ekine added that a follow-up study funded by the Tertiary Education Trust Fund in 2023 further examined the issue across Osun, Ekiti, Delta, Rivers, Kogi and Benue states.
She also recalled that a previous Youthcare project titled “Lend a Voice” recorded 91 reported cases of school-related violence in six primary schools within six months, involving pupils as young as six years old.
Ekine said the persistence of the problem was often linked to the normalisation of violent discipline, silence around harassment and weak reporting systems in many schools.
She added that the pilot project introduced structured reporting registers in participating schools to strengthen documentation, accountability and response to cases of abuse.
The intervention, implemented by the Youthcare Development and Empowerment Initiative, targeted teachers and pupils across selected schools in Ibadan using what the organisation described as a two-pronged approach to address violence within school environments.
She said school-related gender-based violence remained a serious concern affecting many pupils across the country.
“School-related gender-based violence is not an abstract concept. For many children, it is a daily reality. It manifests through bullying, harassment, emotional abuse and other harmful practices within and around school environments.
“Such experiences affect pupils’ academic performance, school attendance, mental health and long-term development. When children do not feel safe in school, learning outcomes inevitably suffer.
“Addressing violence in schools is therefore not just a disciplinary matter but also a child protection and education quality issue,” she said.
Ekine explained that the pilot project involved more than 1,800 pupils and 200 teachers drawn from 45 public primary schools in Ibadan metropolis.
She said 136 teachers and 854 pupils were directly trained across 20 selected schools during the intervention.
She explained that teachers received training on child protection principles, positive discipline approaches, identification and response to school-related gender-based violence, as well as documentation and reporting procedures.
The don added that pupils were trained to understand their rights, recognise inappropriate behaviours, report abuse safely and promote respect among their peers.
Ekine noted that the intervention followed earlier studies conducted by the organisation which revealed a high prevalence of school violence among primary school pupils.
She said a multi-state study conducted in 2020 across Lagos, Oyo, Ogun, Edo, Kwara and the Federal Capital Territory showed that about 47 per cent of primary school pupils had experienced one form of school-related gender-based violence.
Ekine added that a follow-up study funded by the Tertiary Education Trust Fund in 2023 further examined the issue across Osun, Ekiti, Delta, Rivers, Kogi and Benue states.
She also recalled that a previous Youthcare project titled “Lend a Voice” recorded 91 reported cases of school-related violence in six primary schools within six months, involving pupils as young as six years old.
Ekine said the persistence of the problem was often linked to the normalisation of violent discipline, silence around harassment and weak reporting systems in many schools.
She added that the pilot project introduced structured reporting registers in participating schools to strengthen documentation, accountability and response to cases of abuse.
She said school-related gender-based violence remained a serious concern affecting many pupils across the country.
“School-related gender-based violence is not an abstract concept. For many children, it is a daily reality. It manifests through bullying, harassment, emotional abuse and other harmful practices within and around school environments.
“Such experiences affect pupils’ academic performance, school attendance, mental health and long-term development. When children do not feel safe in school, learning outcomes inevitably suffer.
“Addressing violence in schools is therefore not just a disciplinary matter but also a child protection and education quality issue,” she said.
Ekine explained that the pilot project involved more than 1,800 pupils and 200 teachers drawn from 45 public primary schools in Ibadan metropolis.
She said 136 teachers and 854 pupils were directly trained across 20 selected schools during the intervention.
She explained that teachers received training on child protection principles, positive discipline approaches, identification and response to school-related gender-based violence, as well as documentation and reporting procedures.
The don added that pupils were trained to understand their rights, recognise inappropriate behaviours, report abuse safely and promote respect among their peers.
Ekine noted that the intervention followed earlier studies conducted by the organisation which revealed a high prevalence of school violence among primary school pupils.
She said a multi-state study conducted in 2020 across Lagos, Oyo, Ogun, Edo, Kwara and the Federal Capital Territory showed that about 47 per cent of primary school pupils had experienced one form of school-related gender-based violence.
Ekine added that a follow-up study funded by the Tertiary Education Trust Fund in 2023 further examined the issue across Osun, Ekiti, Delta, Rivers, Kogi and Benue states.
She also recalled that a previous Youthcare project titled “Lend a Voice” recorded 91 reported cases of school-related violence in six primary schools within six months, involving pupils as young as six years old.
Ekine said the persistence of the problem was often linked to the normalisation of violent discipline, silence around harassment and weak reporting systems in many schools.
She added that the pilot project introduced structured reporting registers in participating schools to strengthen documentation, accountability and response to cases of abuse.
“School-related gender-based violence is not an abstract concept. For many children, it is a daily reality. It manifests through bullying, harassment, emotional abuse and other harmful practices within and around school environments.
“Such experiences affect pupils’ academic performance, school attendance, mental health and long-term development. When children do not feel safe in school, learning outcomes inevitably suffer.
“Addressing violence in schools is therefore not just a disciplinary matter but also a child protection and education quality issue,” she said.
Ekine explained that the pilot project involved more than 1,800 pupils and 200 teachers drawn from 45 public primary schools in Ibadan metropolis.
She said 136 teachers and 854 pupils were directly trained across 20 selected schools during the intervention.
She explained that teachers received training on child protection principles, positive discipline approaches, identification and response to school-related gender-based violence, as well as documentation and reporting procedures.
The don added that pupils were trained to understand their rights, recognise inappropriate behaviours, report abuse safely and promote respect among their peers.
Ekine noted that the intervention followed earlier studies conducted by the organisation which revealed a high prevalence of school violence among primary school pupils.
She said a multi-state study conducted in 2020 across Lagos, Oyo, Ogun, Edo, Kwara and the Federal Capital Territory showed that about 47 per cent of primary school pupils had experienced one form of school-related gender-based violence.
Ekine added that a follow-up study funded by the Tertiary Education Trust Fund in 2023 further examined the issue across Osun, Ekiti, Delta, Rivers, Kogi and Benue states.
She also recalled that a previous Youthcare project titled “Lend a Voice” recorded 91 reported cases of school-related violence in six primary schools within six months, involving pupils as young as six years old.
Ekine said the persistence of the problem was often linked to the normalisation of violent discipline, silence around harassment and weak reporting systems in many schools.
She added that the pilot project introduced structured reporting registers in participating schools to strengthen documentation, accountability and response to cases of abuse.
“Such experiences affect pupils’ academic performance, school attendance, mental health and long-term development. When children do not feel safe in school, learning outcomes inevitably suffer.
“Addressing violence in schools is therefore not just a disciplinary matter but also a child protection and education quality issue,” she said.
Ekine explained that the pilot project involved more than 1,800 pupils and 200 teachers drawn from 45 public primary schools in Ibadan metropolis.
She said 136 teachers and 854 pupils were directly trained across 20 selected schools during the intervention.
She explained that teachers received training on child protection principles, positive discipline approaches, identification and response to school-related gender-based violence, as well as documentation and reporting procedures.
The don added that pupils were trained to understand their rights, recognise inappropriate behaviours, report abuse safely and promote respect among their peers.
Ekine noted that the intervention followed earlier studies conducted by the organisation which revealed a high prevalence of school violence among primary school pupils.
She said a multi-state study conducted in 2020 across Lagos, Oyo, Ogun, Edo, Kwara and the Federal Capital Territory showed that about 47 per cent of primary school pupils had experienced one form of school-related gender-based violence.
Ekine added that a follow-up study funded by the Tertiary Education Trust Fund in 2023 further examined the issue across Osun, Ekiti, Delta, Rivers, Kogi and Benue states.
She also recalled that a previous Youthcare project titled “Lend a Voice” recorded 91 reported cases of school-related violence in six primary schools within six months, involving pupils as young as six years old.
Ekine said the persistence of the problem was often linked to the normalisation of violent discipline, silence around harassment and weak reporting systems in many schools.
She added that the pilot project introduced structured reporting registers in participating schools to strengthen documentation, accountability and response to cases of abuse.
“Addressing violence in schools is therefore not just a disciplinary matter but also a child protection and education quality issue,” she said.
Ekine explained that the pilot project involved more than 1,800 pupils and 200 teachers drawn from 45 public primary schools in Ibadan metropolis.
She said 136 teachers and 854 pupils were directly trained across 20 selected schools during the intervention.
She explained that teachers received training on child protection principles, positive discipline approaches, identification and response to school-related gender-based violence, as well as documentation and reporting procedures.
The don added that pupils were trained to understand their rights, recognise inappropriate behaviours, report abuse safely and promote respect among their peers.
Ekine noted that the intervention followed earlier studies conducted by the organisation which revealed a high prevalence of school violence among primary school pupils.
She said a multi-state study conducted in 2020 across Lagos, Oyo, Ogun, Edo, Kwara and the Federal Capital Territory showed that about 47 per cent of primary school pupils had experienced one form of school-related gender-based violence.
Ekine added that a follow-up study funded by the Tertiary Education Trust Fund in 2023 further examined the issue across Osun, Ekiti, Delta, Rivers, Kogi and Benue states.
She also recalled that a previous Youthcare project titled “Lend a Voice” recorded 91 reported cases of school-related violence in six primary schools within six months, involving pupils as young as six years old.
Ekine said the persistence of the problem was often linked to the normalisation of violent discipline, silence around harassment and weak reporting systems in many schools.
She added that the pilot project introduced structured reporting registers in participating schools to strengthen documentation, accountability and response to cases of abuse.
Ekine explained that the pilot project involved more than 1,800 pupils and 200 teachers drawn from 45 public primary schools in Ibadan metropolis.
She said 136 teachers and 854 pupils were directly trained across 20 selected schools during the intervention.
She explained that teachers received training on child protection principles, positive discipline approaches, identification and response to school-related gender-based violence, as well as documentation and reporting procedures.
The don added that pupils were trained to understand their rights, recognise inappropriate behaviours, report abuse safely and promote respect among their peers.
Ekine noted that the intervention followed earlier studies conducted by the organisation which revealed a high prevalence of school violence among primary school pupils.
She said a multi-state study conducted in 2020 across Lagos, Oyo, Ogun, Edo, Kwara and the Federal Capital Territory showed that about 47 per cent of primary school pupils had experienced one form of school-related gender-based violence.
Ekine added that a follow-up study funded by the Tertiary Education Trust Fund in 2023 further examined the issue across Osun, Ekiti, Delta, Rivers, Kogi and Benue states.
She also recalled that a previous Youthcare project titled “Lend a Voice” recorded 91 reported cases of school-related violence in six primary schools within six months, involving pupils as young as six years old.
Ekine said the persistence of the problem was often linked to the normalisation of violent discipline, silence around harassment and weak reporting systems in many schools.
She added that the pilot project introduced structured reporting registers in participating schools to strengthen documentation, accountability and response to cases of abuse.
She said 136 teachers and 854 pupils were directly trained across 20 selected schools during the intervention.
She explained that teachers received training on child protection principles, positive discipline approaches, identification and response to school-related gender-based violence, as well as documentation and reporting procedures.
The don added that pupils were trained to understand their rights, recognise inappropriate behaviours, report abuse safely and promote respect among their peers.
Ekine noted that the intervention followed earlier studies conducted by the organisation which revealed a high prevalence of school violence among primary school pupils.
She said a multi-state study conducted in 2020 across Lagos, Oyo, Ogun, Edo, Kwara and the Federal Capital Territory showed that about 47 per cent of primary school pupils had experienced one form of school-related gender-based violence.
Ekine added that a follow-up study funded by the Tertiary Education Trust Fund in 2023 further examined the issue across Osun, Ekiti, Delta, Rivers, Kogi and Benue states.
She also recalled that a previous Youthcare project titled “Lend a Voice” recorded 91 reported cases of school-related violence in six primary schools within six months, involving pupils as young as six years old.
Ekine said the persistence of the problem was often linked to the normalisation of violent discipline, silence around harassment and weak reporting systems in many schools.
She added that the pilot project introduced structured reporting registers in participating schools to strengthen documentation, accountability and response to cases of abuse.
She explained that teachers received training on child protection principles, positive discipline approaches, identification and response to school-related gender-based violence, as well as documentation and reporting procedures.
The don added that pupils were trained to understand their rights, recognise inappropriate behaviours, report abuse safely and promote respect among their peers.
Ekine noted that the intervention followed earlier studies conducted by the organisation which revealed a high prevalence of school violence among primary school pupils.
She said a multi-state study conducted in 2020 across Lagos, Oyo, Ogun, Edo, Kwara and the Federal Capital Territory showed that about 47 per cent of primary school pupils had experienced one form of school-related gender-based violence.
Ekine added that a follow-up study funded by the Tertiary Education Trust Fund in 2023 further examined the issue across Osun, Ekiti, Delta, Rivers, Kogi and Benue states.
She also recalled that a previous Youthcare project titled “Lend a Voice” recorded 91 reported cases of school-related violence in six primary schools within six months, involving pupils as young as six years old.
Ekine said the persistence of the problem was often linked to the normalisation of violent discipline, silence around harassment and weak reporting systems in many schools.
She added that the pilot project introduced structured reporting registers in participating schools to strengthen documentation, accountability and response to cases of abuse.
The don added that pupils were trained to understand their rights, recognise inappropriate behaviours, report abuse safely and promote respect among their peers.
Ekine noted that the intervention followed earlier studies conducted by the organisation which revealed a high prevalence of school violence among primary school pupils.
She said a multi-state study conducted in 2020 across Lagos, Oyo, Ogun, Edo, Kwara and the Federal Capital Territory showed that about 47 per cent of primary school pupils had experienced one form of school-related gender-based violence.
Ekine added that a follow-up study funded by the Tertiary Education Trust Fund in 2023 further examined the issue across Osun, Ekiti, Delta, Rivers, Kogi and Benue states.
She also recalled that a previous Youthcare project titled “Lend a Voice” recorded 91 reported cases of school-related violence in six primary schools within six months, involving pupils as young as six years old.
Ekine said the persistence of the problem was often linked to the normalisation of violent discipline, silence around harassment and weak reporting systems in many schools.
She added that the pilot project introduced structured reporting registers in participating schools to strengthen documentation, accountability and response to cases of abuse.
Ekine noted that the intervention followed earlier studies conducted by the organisation which revealed a high prevalence of school violence among primary school pupils.
She said a multi-state study conducted in 2020 across Lagos, Oyo, Ogun, Edo, Kwara and the Federal Capital Territory showed that about 47 per cent of primary school pupils had experienced one form of school-related gender-based violence.
Ekine added that a follow-up study funded by the Tertiary Education Trust Fund in 2023 further examined the issue across Osun, Ekiti, Delta, Rivers, Kogi and Benue states.
She also recalled that a previous Youthcare project titled “Lend a Voice” recorded 91 reported cases of school-related violence in six primary schools within six months, involving pupils as young as six years old.
Ekine said the persistence of the problem was often linked to the normalisation of violent discipline, silence around harassment and weak reporting systems in many schools.
She added that the pilot project introduced structured reporting registers in participating schools to strengthen documentation, accountability and response to cases of abuse.
She said a multi-state study conducted in 2020 across Lagos, Oyo, Ogun, Edo, Kwara and the Federal Capital Territory showed that about 47 per cent of primary school pupils had experienced one form of school-related gender-based violence.
Ekine added that a follow-up study funded by the Tertiary Education Trust Fund in 2023 further examined the issue across Osun, Ekiti, Delta, Rivers, Kogi and Benue states.
She also recalled that a previous Youthcare project titled “Lend a Voice” recorded 91 reported cases of school-related violence in six primary schools within six months, involving pupils as young as six years old.
Ekine said the persistence of the problem was often linked to the normalisation of violent discipline, silence around harassment and weak reporting systems in many schools.
She added that the pilot project introduced structured reporting registers in participating schools to strengthen documentation, accountability and response to cases of abuse.
Ekine added that a follow-up study funded by the Tertiary Education Trust Fund in 2023 further examined the issue across Osun, Ekiti, Delta, Rivers, Kogi and Benue states.
She also recalled that a previous Youthcare project titled “Lend a Voice” recorded 91 reported cases of school-related violence in six primary schools within six months, involving pupils as young as six years old.
Ekine said the persistence of the problem was often linked to the normalisation of violent discipline, silence around harassment and weak reporting systems in many schools.
She added that the pilot project introduced structured reporting registers in participating schools to strengthen documentation, accountability and response to cases of abuse.
She also recalled that a previous Youthcare project titled “Lend a Voice” recorded 91 reported cases of school-related violence in six primary schools within six months, involving pupils as young as six years old.
Ekine said the persistence of the problem was often linked to the normalisation of violent discipline, silence around harassment and weak reporting systems in many schools.
She added that the pilot project introduced structured reporting registers in participating schools to strengthen documentation, accountability and response to cases of abuse.
Ekine said the persistence of the problem was often linked to the normalisation of violent discipline, silence around harassment and weak reporting systems in many schools.
She added that the pilot project introduced structured reporting registers in participating schools to strengthen documentation, accountability and response to cases of abuse.
She added that the pilot project introduced structured reporting registers in participating schools to strengthen documentation, accountability and response to cases of abuse.
Kindly share this story:
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