Attitudes on Children Victims of Sexual Abuse and the Relevance of Poverty Reduction Policies in Developing Countries: A Tanzanian Perspective

Abstract

Children who are sexually abused are likely to encounter discrimination, feel blameworthy, and a lack of support from the very people who should support them. Questions asked of the victim, such as "why were you raped," are the norm, though it is the perpetrator who should be asked why he raped. More importantly, poverty in families is both a cause and an effect of child sexual abuse. This paper employs doctrinal research methodology to examine the attitudes to, and cultural perspectives of, child sexual abuse and the relevance of poverty-reduction policies in addressing child sexual abuse. It is argued that there is a link between cultural ideologies and poverty when it comes to child sexual abuse in Tanzania. There, for example, children are abused on the grounds of superstition and the belief that sexual intercourse by an adult with a child will make the perpetrator rich. Furthermore, because of poverty, families are reluctant to report sexual abuse committed within the confines of the family, especially when the perpetrator is a breadwinner, or when there is "compensation". This paper concludes that, despite the fact that Tanzania has taken various measures to address child sexual abuse, cultural ideologies should be addressed hand in hand with comprehensive policies on poverty reduction when addressing child sexual abuse.

Breaking the Silence: Perceived Barriers to Safeguarding Child and Young Athletes in Uganda and a Rights-Based Framework for Positive Change

“…Children have been raised and taught that the actions of an older (male) person are not questionable in Ugandan society, and this has led to a culture of silence (and retaliatory violence when norms are violated), which enables different forms of abuse such as forced or pressured sex, or abusive sexual touching among children in different parts of the country (UVACS 2018). In a similar cultural context, in Tanzania, the belief that sexual intercourse between children and adults makes adult perpetrators financially wealthy contributes to the normalization of abusive practices (Bakta 2019). Gender-based violence in its many forms happens within larger contexts of historical, political, social and cultural violence, "women accept them because of social cultural norms that normalize them" and urges Ugandan society "to cultivate a culture of speaking up" (Maractho 2022).…”

Experience of the Sexually Abused Street Children. A Case of One of the Cities in Tanzania

“…The children are on the streets because they have been subjected to violence and abuse at home (Arnold, 2017; Ashraf et al, 2022;Bajari & Kuswarno, 2020;Petrowski, Cappa, Pereira, Mason, & Daban, 2021). When they move to the street, however, they face similar or worse consequences because they are constantly harassed by police, sex tourists, and other people (Bakta, 2019;Christopher, 2020). Many street children continue to sexually abuse their weaker peers while also engaging in violence and exploitation of other street children or adults (Msechu, 2019).…”