UNDERSTANDING HATE CRIME AGAINST SEXUAL MINORITIES (LGBTQ+) FROM THE ACCEPTANCE LEVEL AND ATTITUDE OF UNIVERSITY (KNUST) STUDENTS IN GHANA, WEST AFRICA.

Sammanfattning

This study investigated the types of hate crimes perpetrated against LGBTQ+ individuals in Ghana and explored attitudes and acceptance levels of hate crimes among University students with focus on the social factors that influence these attitudes. Method: Quantitative survey was administered to 181 students of Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) Ghana. The questionnaire measured types of hate crimes, attitudes towards LGBTQ+ and acceptance level hate crimes. Descriptive statistics, one-sample t test, Chi-Square goodness-of-fit test, and a One-Way ANOVA were used to analyze the data. Results: The findings revealed verbal harassment (38.8%) and police brutality (18.8%) as the most prevalent forms of hate crimes reported. Other forms included online harassment (10.6%), sexual violence (10.0%), family/social rejection (9.4%), physical assault (6.3%), and workplace harassment (5.0%). Students demonstrated significantly negative attitudes towards LGBTQ+ individuals (M=7.39, p<.001) and a high acceptance of hate crimes (M=27.86, p<.001) with both showing extremely large effect sizes (Cohen’s d>3.0). Academic level significantly influenced acceptance of hate crimes, with level 200 and 300 students showing the highest acceptance of hate crime. Religious beliefs and cultural values were identified as the primary factors shaping these attitudes. Discussion: The findings emphasized the impact of sociocultural and religious institutions in fueling intolerant attitudes among tertiary students in Ghana. These results validate Social Learning Theory and Differential Association Theory in explaining the perpetuation of hate-driven behavior through learned social norms. From the findings, it can be concluded that hate crimes against LGBTQ+ individuals in Ghana are significantly shaped by cultural narratives and reinforced through educational, religious, and legal institutions. This underscores the critical need for educational campaigns and policy intervention to shift public attitudes and safeguard minority rights within the academic and broader societal context.