Unsafe schools : a literature review of school-related gender-based violence in developing countries.

This literature review examines the prevalence and effects of SRGBV in developing countries. Many of the studies reviewed indicate that SRGBV is perpetrated on female students by their male peers and teachers in school, while outside of school, girls can fall prey to "sugar daddies." Several studies point out that SRGBV adversely affects girls" educational attainment. Girls report losing their concentration in class, feeling bad about themselves, missing school, and even dropping out. The health consequences -- increased exposure to sexually transmitted infections, including HIV/AIDS, and unwanted pregnancies -- are also devastating. Many girls do not even complain of SRGBV because of a fear of reprisals, especially from teachers, or because they believe that nothing will be done -- not unreasonably, given the widespread indifference of school administrators, the larger community, and the ministries of education. Nonetheless, a number of initiatives to combat SRGBV have been undertaken, including curriculum development, youth leadership, teacher training, advocacy and community involvement, and policy development. Addressing power imbalances between men and women is central to preventing gender violence, and this process must be deeply rooted in schools. Successful efforts must include both boys and girls: working only with girls is, at best, only half a solution. Framing the issue in the polarizing language of girls versus boys, victims versus perpetrators, only exacerbates an already difficult situation and masks the complexity of the dynamics of gender and power.