Predictors of location of rape: A survey of victim's location in Gombe state, North-East Nigeria

Abstract

Aims: To determine the predictors of rape location among victims in Gombe. Settings and Design: Cross-sectional retrospective. Methods and Material: Cases of alleged rape that presented at a secondary health facility from August 2016-July 2018 were retrieved. Statistical Analysis Used: SPSS version 20. Results: The majority of cases were between the ages of 5–14 years (66.1%). Up to 26% of the victims were males. For 65.7% of the cases, the perpetrators were not known to the victim. The perpetrator's residence or office was the most commonplace of rape occurrence (49.5%). More victims (60.7%) who were less than 5 were raped in the perpetrator's home/office, compared to 43.6% of those who were between 15–24 years. Also, 50% of those with tertiary educational qualifications were raped in their homes compared to 10% of those with primary educational qualifications. Rape was carried out in uncompleted building/bush for perpetrators who were known to the victim compared to 6.3% of those who the victims did not know. There are a higher odds of rape carried out in the perpetrator's or victim's home among those who are familiar with the perpetrator compared to those who are not familiar to the perpetrator (odds ratio (OR): 0.36; confidence interval (CI): 0.200–0.656). The odds of rape occurring by a known person is 3.4 times more likely to occur in the perpetrator's house/office compared to it occurring in an uncompleted building or bush (P value 0.007 with a CI of 1.396–8.562). Conclusions: It is recommended that children should be placed in schools to minimize child labor and the public should be made aware of the possibility of rape by known persons in lonely places and at home.