Sexual Abuse Among Female Street Children: The Case of Lideta Sub City, Addis Ababa
No Thumbnail Available
Date
2007-09
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Addis Ababa University
Abstract
Sexual abuse of children is one of the most brutal forms of violence against children, because the risks are real. Some researches indicate that it is a common place and a serious problem among female children who are living and working on the street. However, this atrocious problem was explored with other issues like socio-economic conditions of female street children with little emphasis of identifying forms, causes and consequences in detail way. The main research questions addressed in this study were: What are the causes/risk factors associated with it? What are the consequences of sexual abuse among female street children? In order to answer these questions, qualitative data collection method pertaining to different objectives of the study such as in-depth interview with 17 female street children, focus group discussion and key informant interviews were used. The study revealed that female children drifted away from home and school to street way of life was due to interrelated and complex problems. They engaged in doing different activities on the street that make them vulnerable and victims of problems including various forms of sexual abuse by diverse categories of people. Rape, prostitution, unwanted kissing, breast fondling and anal sex were reported as forms of sexual abuse among female street children. In this study, female street children existences on the street and gender socialization were prominent issues that have emerged as the causes of sexual abuse. As a consequence of their involvement on street life which in turn makes them available for easy prey by different abusers, they were victims of various forms of sexual abuse. Besides, due to gender socialization pattern in patriarchal society that creates boys/men to be active, strong, aggressive and dominant against women and children are found as a cause for various forms of sexual abuse. Poverty, luck of support and protection, migration and trafficking, being drug and alcohol addicted, HIV/AIDS epidemic etc. were also explored. The findings further reveal that sexual abuses of female street children have a long lasting damaging effect on children’s life in terms of physical and mental health. Female street children face short term and long lasting psychological consequences. Moreover, physical and verbal abuses are reported in this study as part and parcel of the problem of various forms of sexual abuse among female street children
Description
Keywords
Gender Studies