Developing a Multidisciplinary Model for Sexual Violence Response in Nigeria: Integrating Legal, Medical, and Social Perspectives

Abstract

Sexual violence response in Nigeria remains fragmented despite growing legal recognition of sexual offenses and international advocacy for integrated, survivor-centered approaches. Existing interventions largely operate in institutional silos, limiting continuity of care and survivors’ engagement with justice processes. This study examined the existing legal, medical, and psychosocial systems involved in sexual violence response in Nigeria in order to identify structural gaps and develop a multidisciplinary model for improving survivor-centered care and inter-agency coordination. The study adopted a qualitative design involving 75 in-depth interviews with police officers, legal practitioners, medical personnel, social workers, and non-governmental organization actors across six Nigerian states. Data were analyzed thematically using both inductive and deductive approaches. The analysis reveals entrenched sectoral isolation, power asymmetries favoring legal actors, broken referral pathways, and heavy reliance on informal, person-dependent collaboration. Despite these challenges, participants recognized structural gaps in response systems and shared a desire for multidisciplinary coordination. Drawing on these findings, the study develops a multidisciplinary sexual violence response model grounded in integrated governance, shared accountability, coordinated referral systems, and parity of expertise across sectors. Future research should examine survivors’ perspectives on multidisciplinary response systems and evaluate the implementation and effectiveness of integrated response models across diverse Nigerian contexts.