Pupils' Perceptions of Sexual Abuse by Teachers in Zimbabwe

Shumba, Almon; Gwirayi, Pesanayi; Shumba, Jenny; Maphosa, Cosmas; Chireshe, Regis; Gudyanga, Ephias; Makura, Alfred Henry

doi:10.1080/14330237.2008.10820198

Cited by 6 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 16 publications

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“…However, male concern with girls wearing indecent and revealing clothes is characteristic of the Zimbabwean patriarchal society (Nhundu & Shumba, 2001). In the same vein, a study that investigated pupils' perceptions of sexual abuse by teachers in Zimbabwean schools reported that one of the reasons cited by male respondents was that girls wear clothes that reveal their bodies (Shumba et al, 2008). This mentality by male adolescents, which was also confirmed in this study, further buttresses the need for more education on issues to do with CSA.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 76%

Fighting Child Sexual Abuse

Gwirayi

2013

Sage Open

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This study investigated secondary school pupils' views on strategies that can be used to prevent child sexual abuse (CSA). A survey design was adopted as the operational framework for data gathering. Data were collected from three secondary schools, all in the Gweru district of Zimbabwe. The sample comprised 268 secondary pupils (50% female; M age = 15.42, SD = 1.376). Each participant was asked to write down three main strategies that can be used to fight CSA on a given questionnaire. The responses were then analyzed using the thematic content analysis technique. The study revealed that most pupils believed that CSA can be prevented through teaching them about it and also reporting to the police. Another significant finding was that pupils' responses tended to vary with gender and level of education. Whereas female respondents suggested that CSA can be fought by avoiding strangers, saying no to sexual advances, and having reliable friends, their male counterparts suggested teaching the community about CSA, forming new clubs, and enacting life imprisonment for perpetrators, among other suggestions. In terms of level of education, Form 2 participants suggested avoiding strangers, staying home at night, whereas their Form 4 counterparts suggested lessons for Guidance and Counseling, saying no to sexual advances, and having reliable friends. These findings unequivocally demonstrate the need to vigorously engage secondary school pupils in activities aimed at fighting CSA to safeguard their inalienable human rights.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 76%

Fighting Child Sexual Abuse

Gwirayi

2013

Sage Open

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“…Vastness of rural schools created more space under which child sexual abuse predators would commit the vice. While other studies (Shumba et al, 2015) may have documented that rural school pupils are more vulnerable to child sexual abuse, the current study found no such association. According to the ecological model, determinants of sexual violence is the result of complex interplay of multi-level factors (inherent within and external to the individual) and it is plausible that risk factors interact or cluster differentially across contexts, hence the different observations in literature.…”

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 99%

“…In addition to differences in terms of risk factors between day and boarding schools, children attending schools in urban areas may face different risks to sexual abuse compared to those attending schools in rural schools. Studies conducted in Zimbabwe and Ethiopia showed that pupils in rural schools were more at risk of facing child sexual abuse than those in urban schools and these differences were attributed to how knowledgeable of child sexual abuse such that children in rural schools were found to be less knowledgeable on the subject (Shumba et al, 2015). Children attending rural schools are exposed to sexual abuse as they travel long stretches of bushy and forested paths early in the mornings and late in the evenings (Kenya Catholic Secretariat of Religious Education, 2015).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Risk Factors of Sexual Abuse among School-Going Children in Primary Schools in Kisumu County, Kenya

Maranga,

Onyango,

Omondi

2024

Preprint

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Child sexual abuse is a public health problem with negative physical, mental, behavioral and learning outcomes to survivors. A recent Kenya Demographic Health Survey showed that 22% of women and 13% of men in western Kenya have experienced sexual abuse compared to 14% women and 6% men nationally. Whereas schools have a major influence on a child’s development and behavior, they have been identified as important settings where child sexual abuse might occur. However, how sexual abuse is patterned by the type and location of the school remains an open question. In the present study, we investigated risk factors of sexual abuse among school-going children in primary schools in Kisumu County. Using a cross-sectional study design and guided by the ecological health model, the study determined association between type of school and sexual abuse; association between location of school and sexual abuse, and spaces that predispose school-going children to sexual abuse in primary schools. A sample of 398 pupils aged between 10–16 years randomly identified participants from 37 pre-selected primary schools in Kisumu Central and Kisumu West sub-Counties was used. Data from pupils was collected using self-administered questionnaires, focus group discussions, and key informant interviews. The mean age of participants was 13 years. Forced sex (38%) was the most common known type of sexual abuse. More girls than boys had ever experienced any type of sexual abuse 29% versus 20%; p = 0.038. Whereas there was no statistical difference in pupils’ experience of sexual abuse by type and location of school x2 = 2.044; p > 0.05 and x2 = 0.823 p > 0.05, pupils reported that attending public day schools is associated with higher risk of sexual abuse mainly while walking to and from home. Pupils reported that bushes inside the school (52%), latrines/toilets (51%) and bushes outside the school (50%) were the spaces where one is more likely to experience sexual abuse. Being a female pupil was the most significant risk factor for sexual abuse in the primary schools surveyed indicating that gendered predisposition plays an important role in the incidences of sexual abuse in primary schools. Though not statistically significant in this study, it is plausible that risky spaces and type of schools might modify female gender predisposition in subtler ways as suggested from the pupils’ perspectives. Consequently, there is need for a gendered focus in a complex primary schooling environment.

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“…In addition, widows are exploited by men because of their gender. This finding confirms that of Shumba (2011), who observed that men predominantly determine women's rights to land. Therefore, access and control over land predominantly rest in the hands of men, perpetuating gender-based disparities in land ownership and use.…”

Section: Traditional Court Systemsupporting

confidence: 90%

The Role of Traditional Leadership in Addressing Gender-Based Violence in Seke Community, Zimbabwe

Hodzi

2024

AJIMS

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This study examines the role of traditional leadership (village head and chiefs) in curbing gender-based violence (GBV) in rural communities. GBV disproportionately affects women in rural areas. The paper argues that traditional leaders have a role in addressing GBV in rural communities and posits that given the limited presence of formal institutions in rural communities, traditional leaders actively address and prevent GBV in their localities. This study is part of a 2022 Doctor of Philosophy thesis that explores the role of communal institutions in addressing GBV in Seke District, Ward 8, Zimbabwe. This study relies on qualitative research based on in-depth interviews and observations at the Chief's court. Findings from interviews with two officers and 10 village heads and chiefs and five observations that involved 14 participants indicate that traditional leaders use mediation, the traditional court system, referrals to the police, and awareness campaigns to address GBV. The study also indicates that food insecurity, infidelity, drug abuse, land ownership, and patriarchy are some of the drivers of GBV in the community. The paper recommends that the government, law enforcement, and private stakeholders use education on GBV to empower traditional leaders, who are essential players in addressing GBV in rural communities.

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Pupils' Perceptions of Sexual Abuse by Teachers in Zimbabwe

Cited by 6 publications

References 16 publications

Fighting Child Sexual Abuse

Fighting Child Sexual Abuse

Risk Factors of Sexual Abuse among School-Going Children in Primary Schools in Kisumu County, Kenya

The Role of Traditional Leadership in Addressing Gender-Based Violence in Seke Community, Zimbabwe

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