Perception Of Students On Homosexuality In Secondary Schools In Kenya

This study investigated the knowledge of secondary school students on the meaning of the term homosexuality. It also investigated the students’ perception of homosexual practice in secondary schools, the type of secondary school where homosexuality is most practiced, and the root cause of homosexuality. The sample comprised 258 participants (129 female and 129 male) who were Form 3 students drawn from 10 secondary schools in western Kenya. A biographical form and homosexuality questionnaire were used in data collection. Both descriptive and inferential statistics were used in data analyses with alpha level set at .05. The results showed that majority of the participants (93%) knew the meaning of homosexuality; that homosexuality is practiced in secondary schools in Kenya; that homosexuality is mainly practised in single sex boarding secondary schools; and that sexual starvation is perceived as the main root cause of homosexuality in secondary schools. Stakeholders in the educational sector and policy makers could find these findings useful in addressing legal and moral issues on homosexuality in secondary schools in the country.