Child sexual abuse in Tanzania and Kenya
Introduction
Child sexual abuse currently receives widespread media and public attention in both Tanzania and Kenya, and high profile advocacy groups have successfully impacted on the formation of legislation and government policy in both countries. A range of research initiatives has examined aspects of child sexual abuse throughout the region. However, such research generally does not appear in the international peer-reviewed literature (see Lalor, in press, for a review of the literature on child sexual abuse in sub-Saharan Africa). The purpose of this paper is to examine the various commentaries and reports extant, towards an overview of the nature and prevalence of child sexual abuse in Tanzania and Kenya. This region was selected for study because of its relatively well-established research community (which is largely anglophone) and because these two neighboring East African countries, which share some linguistic, cultural, and historical similarities, also provide a contrast because of differing experiences of colonization and differing levels of development. A field trip was undertaken in the summer of 2001 where interviews with local and international Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), UN agencies, church organizations, AIDS/HIV clinics, advocacy groups, and counseling centers were conducted. A review of all available published and unpublished literature was also undertaken.
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Tanzanian research on child sexual abuse
Few studies have directly examined the sexual abuse of children in Tanzania. Information is typically anecdotal, attitudinal, based on a small sample groups, and has little external validity (outside selected groups such as street children or juvenile prostitutes). However, some studies do offer insights into the nature and incidence of child sexual abuse.
Dungy and Mhagama (2000) interviewed children in selected villages and various community leaders (police, health personnel, village leaders,
Explanations for the perceived increase of child sexual abuse in Tanzania
A feature of the debate on child sexual abuse in Tanzania is the consensus that this is a novel phenomenon caused by perpetrators’ efforts to cure themselves of AIDS/HIV, the breakdown of the traditional communal child care system, the influence of “foreign cultures,” widespread poverty, and finally, the powerless position of girls and women in society. Indeed, these explanations are common throughout sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) (Lalor, in press).
Kenyan research on child sexual abuse
Relative to Tanzania, considerably more research activity occurs in Kenya, reflecting its greater wealth and development. However, it is still the case that most of the research relating to child sexual abuse in Kenya is in the form of unpublished reports. The main studies are examined below.
The African Network for the Prevention and Protection against Child Abuse and Neglect (ANPPCAN, 2000) surveyed 501 children, in both rural and urban areas, regarding child abuse and children’s rights. A
Discussion
The sexual abuse of children is receiving growing attention in Tanzania. It is widely held that “foreign influences” are responsible, and this is reflected in the Government Child Development Policy. Increasingly, this issue is receiving widespread media coverage, but commentary largely occurs within an empirical vacuum.
In Kenya, considerably more research into adolescent sexuality has been conducted, relative to Tanzania. Much of this research has been motivated by the spread of the AIDS/HIV
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This study was supported by grant SF01/36 from the Dublin Institute of Technology.