Teacher-parents' involvement in the prevention and management of child sexual abuse amongst in school adolescents in Osun State, Nigeria

Abstract

Child sexual abuse (CSA) has both psychological and social consequences on the victim especially in the absence of appropriate help or unwillingness to seek redress. Parents’ disposition towards the prevention and management of child sexual abuse is key to steaming the tide of such abuse. In Nigeria studies on child sexual abuse has neglected the views of parents and their approaches to reducing sexual abuse among adolescents. This study investigates the prevalence of child sexual abuse and teacher-parents’ involvement in its prevention and management in a Nigerian town. A concurrent mixed method design that consisted of quantitative and qualitative method was adopted. A questionnaire was administered among 443 in-school adolescents selected from high school using quota sampling technique and 10 teacher-parents of adolescents were interviewed. The findings showed that CSA was high (59.8%). Generally, parental involvement in the sexual issues affecting their children was somewhat negative. Consequently, child education, child security, discouragement of the use of handsets among in-school adolescents and severe punishments to offenders would help prevent and manage this menace. This requires macro, meso and micro levels interventions.

Keywords: Child sexual abuse; adolescents, teacher-parents