Researching the sensitive issues: Child sexual abuse in Ghana

Abstract

Child sexual abuse (CSA) is a worldwide phenomenon that transcends generations and the victims are increasingly found among society's most vulnerable populations. Children's knowledge of sexual abuse determines their ability to identify sexual behaviors that could expose them to abuse. This paper explores how children perceive sexual abuse from their communities and school environments. Using interviews and focus group discussions, data was taken from 17 sexually abused child ren from three communities and 80 students from four schools in Greater Accra. The findings showed that almost all the children in the communities did not have any knowledge about child sexual abuse. They perceived CSA as a sexual act where a child gets hu rt or pregnant. On the other hand, respondents from the school setting had all heard about sexual abuse but did not understand what it really meant. This paper ends by recommending some interventions to help curb the phenomenon of child sexual abuse in Ghana.