TABLE OF CONTENTS DECLARATION ii
DEDICATION………………………………………………………………………………………………….. iii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT…………………………………………………………………………………. iv
TABLE OF CONTENTS……………………………………………………………………………………. v
LIST OF TABLES…………………………………………………………………………………………….. ix
LIST OF FIGURES……………………………………………………………………………………………. x
ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS…………………………………………………………… xi
DEFINITION OF TERMS………………………………………………………………………………. xii
ABSTRACT……………………………………………………………………………………………………. xiii
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION………………………………………………………………….. 1
- Background of the Study…………………………………………………………………………………. 1
CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW……………………………………………………. 11
CHAPTER THREE: MATERIALS AND METHODS……………………………………… 17
- Introduction………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 17
CHAPTER FOUR: RESULTS………………………………………………………………………….. 24
- Socio-demographic characteristics……………………………………………………………………. 24
CHAPTER FIVE:DISCUSSION, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS 37
- Discussion…………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 37
REFERENCES………………………………………………………………………………………………… 50
APPENDICES………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 53
Appendix 1: Proposed work plan for the research process 2013/2014………………………… 53
Appendix 2: Budget Proposal for the Research………………………………………………………. 54
Appendix 3: Study Area Map………………………………………………………………………………. 55
Appendix 4: Consent…………………………………………………………………………………………… 56
Appendix 5: Questionnaire…………………………………………………………………………………… 60
Appendix 6: Focused Group Discussion Tool for Randomly Selected Boys………………. 65
Appendix 7: Key Informant Interview Schedule…………………………………………………….. 66
Appendix 8: KU Ethical Approval Letter…………………………………………………………….. 67
LIST OF TABLES
Table 3. 1: Distribution of the study participants in each study school……………………………… 20
Table 4. 1: Socio-demographic characteristics of the child………………………………………………. 24
Table 4. 2: Sexual Abuse Prevalence by School…………………………………………………………….. 27
Table 4. 3: Victims, time, place and reasons for sexual abuse………………………………………….. 28
Table 4. 4: Bivariate Relationship………………………………………………………………………………… 29
Table 4. 5: Risk factors of child Sexual abuse……………………………………………………………….. 31
Table 4. 6: Risk factors perception……………………………………………………………………………….. 33
Table 4. 7: Awareness of Sexual abuse…………………………………………………………………………. 34
Table 4. 8: Level of awareness of sexual abuse by sexual abuse experience………………………. 35
Table 4. 9: Perpetrators of sexual abuse………………………………………………………………………… 36
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 2. 1: Conceptual Framework……………………………………………………………………………….. 8
Figure 4. 1: Person sharing bed room with boy child……………………………………………………… 25
Figure 4. 2:Bed Room sharing preference…………………………………………………………………….. 25
Figure 4. 3: Forms of sexual abuse……………………………………………………………………………….. 26
Figure 4. 4: Number of times of sexual abuse………………………………………………………………… 27
Figure 4. 5: Source of exposure to pornography…………………………………………………………….. 32
ABBREVIATONS AND ACRONYMS
CRC Convention on the right of the child
CSA Child Sexual Abuse
CSEC Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children
ECPAT End child prostitution, child pornography and trafficking of children for sexual purposes
FGD Focused group discussions
GBV Gender Based Violence
HIV Human Immune Deficiency Syndrome IRIN Integrated Regional Information Networks KDHS Kenya Demographic Health Survey
KII Key informant interviews
KUERC Kenyatta University Ethical Research Committee NACOSTI National Council of Science and Technology Institute NCANDS National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System PEPFAR Presidents Emergency Plan for Aids Relief
RH Reproductive Health
SPSS Statistical Package for Social Sciences
UN United Nations
UNICEF United Nations Children’s Fund UNVAC United Nations violence against children VAC Violence against Children
WHO World Health Organization.
DEFINITION OF TERMS
Child: Any one below 18 years of age is considered a child (sexual offences Act, 2006). 6-18year old are still children although many are already exposed to challenges from the adult world.
Child Sexual Abuse: Range of specific acts that may or may not involve actual physical contact including: rape, incest, exposure to sexual materials, exposure of child to sexual act deliberately or unknowingly and uncomfortable or intrusive touching of a child. Commercial Sexual Abuse: It’s asexual abuse by an adult and remuneration in cash or kind to the child or a third person or persons’ .The child is treated as a sexual object and as a commercial object or the child engages in sexual activities to have key needs fulfilled such as food, shelter or access to education.
Gender Based Violence: A major public health problem which directly affect women and men’s reproductive health. It’s a pervasive and serious problem that continues to violate human rights around the world and affects physical, mental health, self-esteem, their ability to work and their capacity to make decisions about their fertility and reproductive health.
Incest: Sex between a blood relative and a minor.
Rape: Forced and “consensual” sexual intercourse with a minor.
Sodomy: Anal or oral sex between human beings; the act of which may be punishable as a criminal offense (Oxford Dictionary meaning).
Self-Defense Teachers: Teachers who offer the pupils trainings on life skills to protect themselves from harm and danger.
ABSTRACT
Sexual abuse among children has long history in Kenyan schools. Recent evidence however points out on underreported cases of boy child sexual abuse; rise in incidence of reported crimes of sexual nature and sporadic occurrence of such inhumane treatment of children outside and within learning institutions attest to threatened sexual safety and future reproductive health of children. The study aimed at assessing prevalence and risk factors of sexual abuse among boy child in public primary schools in Mukuru Kwa Njenga slum, in Nairobi County. Specific objectives of the study included: to assess awareness level of sexual abuse, to determine prevalence of sexual abuse, to identify risk factors of sexual abuse among boy child, and finally to establish who the perpetrators of sexual abuse among boy child are. The study adopted cross sectional descriptive approach. The study population was sexually abused and non-sexually abused boys aged amid10-18, with a sample size of 300 and key informants. Mukuru Kwa Njenga slum was randomly selected among the three major slums in Nairobi. All the four major public primary schools were selected into the study purposively and some boys in the respective schools were sampled using simple random sampling technique. The schools and the boys were assigned random numbers. However, a few cases in the slum were used proportionately and through key informant interviews and focused group discussions until sample size was achieved. Both qualitative and quantitative data collection methods were used to enhance realization of strangulation effect. Focused Group Discussion guides, Key Informant Interview guides and Questionnaires with Closed and open ended questions were used. As such, necessary ethical considerations such as permission from research authorities, teachers as child custodians and key informants in the study were observed. However, following the sensitivity of the topic consent, assent and confidentiality were strictly observed. Data analysis was done using SPSS version 17. The results were as follows: prevalence of sexual violence among boys in the study is 75.3% with a chi-square p< .001, mean age of the pupils is 12.31 (+ .16), 68% had low awareness level on sexual abuse, pupils living with single parents were 5.163 times at risk of sexual abuse while those sharing a room with mother were less likely to experience sexual abuse (0.082 times) as compared to those sharing room with sisters. Majority of boy child sexual abuse perpetrators are strangers (58.2%) and peers (27.6%) and the crime occurs mainly in the neighborhood in the absence of parents. In conclusion sexual abuse prevalence in the study area is high, children are at risk, there are low awareness levels, and perpetrators are varied as shown above. Recommendations: child protection agencies to come up with strategies to save the boy child from this inhumane act. Studies of same kind in other slum areas and among children generally should be carried out.
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
This chapter contains background of the study, problem statement, research questions, objectives, justification, and hypothesis, significance of the study, ethical consideration and conceptual framework.
Background of the Study
Child sexual violence has reached very high levels (Andrews, Skinner, & Zuma, 2006). Moreover, it is affirmed that 1 in every 10 girls and 1 in 20 boys respectively have experienced sexual violence worldwide (UNICEF, 2007).
According to report by Nairobi based Centre for the Study of Adolescents (CSA), 40% of girls’ and 50% of boys were reported to have engaged in sexual activity before their 19th birthday (CSA, 2009). But, up to 50% of those who sexually abuse children are under the age of 18 years. Nonetheless, 88% of cases of sexual abuse are never reported to the authorities (Child Health International, 2008). It is affirmed that sexual abuse among children is a serious problem both in Kenya and globally. But, it is surprising that the prevalence, risk factors, s, level of knowledge/awareness and perpetrator of boys about the problem are not clearly known. This is somewhat based on the fact that there is little quantifiable data on the issue within Kenya, regionally and globally; little research has been done at Mukuru Kwa Njenga specifically on boy child sexual abuse.
Sexual abuse could explicitly be defined as sexual intercourse or its deviations. In furtherance, sexual abuse could be regarded as an act whereby a person; adult or child forces, coerces or threatens a child to have any form of sexual activity at the perpetrators’
direction (American Humane Association, 2013). Conversely, Kenya Demographic Health Survey ultimately does not explicitly report specific data on sexual abuse against boys (KDHS, 2008). As such, the major reason for gradual increase in child abuse cases results from underreporting globally.
WHO defines child sexual abuse as an involvement of a child in sexual activities that he or she does not fully comprehend, is unable to give informed consent to, or a case whereby a child is not developmentally prepared and cannot either give consent to, or still that involves the law or social taboos of society (WHO, 2010). Moreover, according to UN global study on violence against children (UNVAC), child sexual abuse (CSA) is any kind of sexual activity to which children are subjected, especially by someone who is responsible for them, or has power or control over them, and who they should be able to trust (UNIVAC, 2010).
The international society estimates global abuse of boy child under the age of 18 years at 73million. However, it is imperative to assert that the true extent of the problem is not known,(Ringrose, Gill, Livingstone, & Harvey, 2012). Sexual abuse among young boys below the age of 18years is a growing concern at the national and global scopes. However, very little is known about the scale and nature of sexual abuse among boys. Accordingly, the emerging researches in South Africa estimates that, about 1out of 10 men in adulthood are reported to have been sexually abused by other men. In furtherance, it is clear that sexual abuse fuels the spread of HIV/Aids worldwide.
Moreover, the United Nations estimate that 4000 young people aged between 15 to 24 years get infected with HIV/Aids around the world daily. Hence, it is also important to
note that harmful social norms and practices increase vulnerability of both boys and men, for example, pressure from pears or other people with multiple sexual partners of those who seek transactional sex (Onis et al., 2007).
Available data about the menace suggests that about 20% of women and 5-10% of men suffered sexual abuse as children. But, psychological, emotional abuse as well as neglect is not known (WHO, 2014).According to 2009/2010 government report in Kenya, approximately 1000 teachers had been dismissed from duty in that period for sexually abusing children. However, both Children’s Act and Sexual Offences Act in Kenya criminalize sex with children under age of 18. As such, in 2010, TSC issued guidelines designed to protect children in schools.
Research indicated that schools are the second highest after family set-ups, where children are sexually abused; boys also get sodomized in religious institutions. Hence, it is important to pinpoint and spot light such institutions to create awareness (IRIN, 2014). In Kenya like any other sub-Saharan African countries, there is limited data on sexual abuse, but about 29% of girls and 20% boys aged 13 and below occasionally reports one or more episodes of sexual harassment (IRIN, 2014).
Problem Statement
Sexual abuse among children is reported to occur in schools within Mukuru Kwa Njenga slum in accordance with reports by self-defense teachers in one of the public primary schools and children’s office report at St Elizabeth Legal Office in 2013/2014, (out of the 3000 cases of child sexual abuse, 2000 are boy child), though the magnitude is yet to be known. But few studies have specifically synchronized realistic data on men/boys
violence. It is prudent to assert that little research has been done on sexual violence among school going boy child in Mukuru Kwa Njenga slum, and in Kenya as a whole. Children in day schools are more prone to sexual violence comparatively to those in boarding schools (UN study on VAC, 2006).
Consequently, available data suggests that approximately 10% of men and 20% of women suffered from sexual abuse at childhood age although psychological, emotional abuse as well as neglect is not known (WHO, 2014). However, one of the recent studies on sexual violence recommended that future research agenda for Kenya should basically focus on the prevalence of sexual violence and the perception of the same within Kenyan communities, and how these affect responses (RH, 2009). According to study done in 2013/2014 by Nairobi Women Gender Based Violence Centre, approximately 5% of sexual abuse cases in the population they sampled involved boy child.
Justification
Sexual abuse among children has long history in Kenyan schools. Recent evidence however points out on underreported cases of boy child sexual abuse; rise in incidence of reported crimes of sexual nature and sporadic occurrence of such inhumane treatment of children outside and within learning institutions attest to threatened sexual safety and future reproductive health of children.
Children in day schools are more prone to sexual violence since they are more vulnerable to the predisposing factors (UN study on VAC, 2006). However, sexual violence has adverse reproductive effects to boys especially the HIV/AIDS infection with 1% male and 3% female adolescents of the same age (KDHS, 2008/9).There is little data on exact
number of child victims because so much happen in secret and is not reported (UNICEF, 2007).
Research Questions
- What is the prevalence of sexual abuse among boy child aged between 10 to 18years in Mukuru Kwa Njenga slum public primary schools in Nairobi County?
- What are the risk factors of sexual abuse among boy child in Mukuru Kwa Njenga slum public primary schools in Nairobi County?
- What is the level of awareness on sexual abuse of boy child in Mukuru Kwa Njenga slum public primary schools in Nairobi County?
- Who are the perpetrators of sexual abuse among boy child in Mukuru Kwa Njenga slum public primary schools in Nairobi County?
Null Hypotheses
The prevalence of Sexual abuse among boy child in public primary school in Mukuru Kwa Njenga slum is not associated with risk factors.
Objectives of the Study
General Objectives
To determine levels of sexual abuse among boys in public primary schools in Mukuru Kwa Njenga slum, in Nairobi County.
Specific Objectives
- To determine the prevalence of sexual abuse among boys in public primary schools in Mukuru Kwa Njenga slum, Nairobi, County.
- To find out the risk factors of sexual abuse among boys in public primary schools in Mukuru Kwa Njenga slum, Nairobi, County.
- To determine the level of awareness on sexual abuse among boys in public primary school in Mukuru Kwa Njenga slum, Nairobi, County.
- To establish who the perpetrators of sexual abuse among boys in public primary school are, in Mukuru Kwa Njenga slum, in Nairobi County.
Significance
The research study generated vital information for both planning and public health policy interventions, especially in designing effective intervention strategies for prevention of sexual abuse among boy child. The study will contribute to national efforts in research for information-based decision making.
The findings of this study will help to derive interventions and prevention strategies on sexual based violence. It is significant to survivors, community health workers, human rights advocates, legislators, law enforcers, opinion leaders, and other respective stake holders in dealing with sexual violence and health issues associated with it.
The study promotes continued empathy and support for survivors. In addition, the knowledge gained is essential for diverse groups of service providers in responding to current trends towards professionalization in the field of sexual violence.
