Socio-cultural determinants of gender-based violence reporting among Kenya Medical Training College Students

Abstract

Socio-cultural norms influence the disclosure of GBV, informal support seeking, and formal institutional reporting among GBV survivors. This study was based on the Ecological Model of violence and examined the socio-cultural factors influencing the choice of reporting GBV incidents at the Kenya Medical Training College (KMTC), where the hierarchical structure and tight-knit peer cultures exacerbate the difficulty of formal reporting. The study used an analytical cross-sectional research design with the target population being the pre-service health training students. A multistage sampling technique was used to obtain data from 478 respondents from an anonymous online questionnaire. Quantitative data was analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics, such as chi-square tests and multivariate logistic regression, and qualitative answers were analysed thematically. The results showed that 59.4% of the students preferred formal institutional reporting and 40.6% of the students preferred informal reporting. The only socio-cultural factor that was significantly associated with preference for channel of reporting was fear of stigma and negative consequences (χ² = 9.93, p = .042), which functions as a cumulative barrier and influences survivors to seek a private resolution. Social support and peer attitudes, which were commonplace, were not unique predictors of binary decision-making about the choice of reporting pathway. Qualitative results indicated that collective silence is actively maintained by means of patriarchal norms, peer silencing, and fear of viral exposure through technology. Socio-cultural barriers are identified as a form of collective silence, achieved through reputation and gender norms, which turns a case of GBV into a case of collective silence. The findings suggest a need for student-led norm change efforts, bystander intervention training, digital safety education, and student-to-professional referral systems that are confidential and help to build sustainable institutional trust.