Factors contributing to child sexual abuse in Livingstone district, Zambia
Simuchembu, Joyce B.S.
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Child sexual abuse in many countries worldwide is a source of concern. Children are vulnerable to abuse, neglect and violence, abandonment, child labour, prostitution, ponography and sexual abuse. (World Report on Violence and Health, 2002). A number of factors have been identified that contribute to child sexual abuse among them they include the use of alcohol/drugs that removes the sense of prohibition, accepting gifts from strangers, relationship of the abused to the abuser, isolated places and HIV/AIDS myth. The other factor may be alienation between siblings, and opportunity as well as proximity. This occurs when close relatives have lived intimately because of overcrowding which may be mainly due to poverty. Some factors such as allowing the child to walk alone to and from school, isolated places, may predispose the child to being abused Social economic factors have led to the child being dependant on the adult for financial support.The objective of the study was to; determine the factors associated with child sexual abuse in Livingstone; sexual abuse; to find out if sexually abused children accept gifts from strangers^more than un abused children; to determine if sexually abused children are found more in isolated places than un abused children; to determine the relationship between alcohol and drug abuse with child sexual abuse; to examine the relationship between the abuser and the abused; to examine the relationship between the myth of HIV/AIDS and child sexual abuse; to establish the relationship between paedophilia with child sexual abuse and to recommend proposed actions to prevent situations of child sexual abuse.A case control study of 105 persons was done using questionnaires (47 of whom were controls and 49 were cases, nine were given to organizations that deal with child sexual abuse). The study was carried out between June and August 2004. Caregivers of the abused and un abused children were interviewed. Counselors of the organizations that deal with abused children and administrators were also given a self administered questionnaires.There was an association between the child accepting gifts from a stranger and sexually abusing a child. Those who accepted gifts and were abused 36(75.0%) as compared to those who did not accept gifts but were abused 12(25.0%). There was no difference in child sexual abuse between those who live in low, medium or high density areas (P -Value 1.000). The study also revealed that the female child was more at risk of being abused than the male child. (Odds ratio - 0.12 < OR < 1.69, Chi - Square Yates corrected 1.09 and P - Value - 0.297). There was no association between the use of alcohol / drugs and sexually abusing a child. Most of the respondents 33(70.2%) said that the abusers were in their normal senses. This could be attributed to them being paedophilia that arc unable to control their sexual emotions. The places were the abuse took place were in the isolated places or where the child was left alone 30(62.5%). Those children who were in school and not abused were 44(97.8%) as compared with those who were at school but abused 40(81.6%), (Odds ratio = 0.00 < OR < 0.86, Chi -Square Yates corrected 4.85, P - Value ^0.016 fishers exact). In 31.9% the abusers were a known person to the abused child.The taboo behind the disclosure of child sexual abuse may lead to the scourge being perpetuated by the abuser. In most cases the shame that the family fears that they may suffer led them not to report the cases to the appropriate authorities such as the police. Thus the laws dealing with the abuser should also be strengthened.In view of the findings of the study, the following recommendations were made, these ore: the relatives and parents should be cautioned on the importance of teaching children against receiving gift from strangers. Parents should be encouraged to escort children to and from school; parents or guardians should be suspicious about the behaviour of a child at home and they should believe the child when they report to them about attempts by an adult to abuse them sexually; the school should be involved in childcare and observe possible signs of sex abuse by finding out why the child's performance is deteriorating in school; encourage establishment of counseling centers for the abused children where children should be able to talk about the abuse and help the to overcome the trauma this may have on the abused child and policies and laws on the abusers should be strengthened.
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