Sexual harassment, self -esteem and depression among seed secondary school adolescents in Nansana Municipality, Wakiso District

Abstract

The study investigated the relationship between sexual harassment, self-esteem, and depression among Seed Secondary School adolescents in Nansana Municipality. It was guided by four objectives: to determine the relationship between sexual harassment and depression; sexual harassment and self-esteem; self-esteem and depression; and the mediating role of self-esteem on the relationship between sexual harassment and depression. A quantitative study employed a self-administered questionnaire using a correlation survey design, purposive sampling, simple random sampling, and systematic random sampling techniques. A total sample of 310 (155 females and 155 males) advanced level students participated in the study. The collected data was analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Scientists version 27. The hypotheses, 1,2 and 3 were tested using the Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient (PPMCC) and Haye’s Process Macro Linear Regression analysis tested the fourth hypothesis. Results revealed a statistically non-significant relationship between SH and D (r = -.218, p = .000 < .05), There was no significant relationship between SH and SE (r = .036, p = .532) and between SE and D (r = .038, p = .504). The mediation hypothesis, which proposed that SE mediates the relationship between SH and D, was not supported by the data. Therefore, the researcher concludes that there may be underlying factors causing this scenario. The researcher recommends another qualitative study to explore adolescents' subjective experiences of sexual harassment. Understanding these experiences can inform targeted support strategies within school settings. Additionally, it is recommended to investigate the intersectionality of sexual harassment with other forms of discrimination (e.g., gender, socioeconomic status) to elucidate how multiple stressors interact to influence mental health outcomes among adolescents in schools.