Sociological Factors Influencing Child Sexual Abuse among Female Adolescents in Ibadan Metropolis

Abstract

Child sexual abuse among female adolescents is a public health problem that is still receiving less research attention in the literature. This prompted the study to examine sociological factors (family type, parental separation and poverty) on child sexual abuse among female adolescents. Descriptive survey design was used to select two hundred and eighty-seven adolescents, ages 12 to 19 years with mean age and SD of 17.10 ± 1.94 years using simple random and convenience sampling technique. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire and analysis using descriptive and inferential statistics. The result found that there is no influence of in-school status in child sexual abuse t(285) = -1.76, p>.05.There is influence of family type in child sexual abuse among female adolescents t(285) = -2.19, p<.05. Also, there is significant positive relationship between poverty and child sexual abuse among female adolescents (r= .38**, df = 285, p<.05). Lastly, there is significant positive relationship between parental separation and child sexual abuse among female adolescents (r= .23**, df = 285, p<.05). The study concluded that there was significant influence of sociological factors (family type, parental separation and poverty) on child sexual abuse among female adolescents. The study therefore recommended that sociologists and other behaviourist should provide counselling help on how to maintain marital harmony especially in polygynous homes, this is because parental task of child monitoring will be easier, efficient and more effective in stable families. This in turn helps to reduce the menace of sexual abuse among female in and out-of-school adolescents.

Keywords: Child Sexual abuse, female adolescents, family type, poverty and parental separation.