RT Article
T1 Experience-Based Perception of Vulnerability Factors to Child Sexual Abuse by Health Care Professionals in Nigeria: A Qualitative Approach
JF Journal of interpersonal violence
VO 36
IS 23/24
SP 11435
OP 11460
A1 Ogunjimi, Adetola I.
A2 Oliveira, Wanderlei Abadio de
A2 Ventura, Carla Aparecida Arena
A2 Silva, Jorge Luiz da
A2 Silva, Marta Angélica Iossi
LA English
YR 2021
UL https://krimdok.uni-tuebingen.de/Record/1780481772
AB Child sexual abuse (CSA) remains a major public health concern worldwide. In Africa, particularly, Nigeria, CSA is a silent, but lethal public health menace with prevalence reaching as high as 56% for different child sexual violence. Understanding the vulnerability factors of CSA promotes the creation of strategies toward prevention of CSA. Due to social stigmatization of victims and their families in Nigeria, it is difficult for researchers and policymakers to have access to firsthand information about predisposing factors to CSA, which negatively impacts efforts toward prevention of CSA. Health care professionals are sources of experience-based, anonymous information about various public health issues. This study aims to understand qualitatively health care professionals’ perception of vulnerability factors of CSA. The study presents a thematic content analysis of a semi-structured interview of 14 health care professionals working with sexually abused children in Nigeria, on their perception of vulnerability factors of CSA, while aligning the factors with known models of violence. Participants in the study reported several interrelated vulnerability factors involving the individual, sexual abuse perpetrator, family, environment, socioeconomic situations, and the lack or nonimplementation of policies against CSA. The study concludes that identifying these factors can assist health care professionals, parents, and family to better respond to child sexual violence cases and policymakers to create new strategies of preventing CSA, thereby improving the health and safety of children in Nigeria.
K1 Qualitative Analysis
K1 health care professional
K1 Vulnerability
K1 Violence
K1 Child Sexual Abuse
DO 10.1177/0886260519897329