Child prostitution in Southern Africa: a search for legal protection

In October 1995 representatives from ECPAT (End Child Prostitution in Asian Tourism) visited several Eastern and Southern African countries. The purpose of the visit was to collect information on child prostitution and the impact of tourism on child prostitution and to assess whether to expand the ECPAT campaign to Africa. Although child prostitution in tourism did not presently appear to be a problem, child prostitution was found to be widespread. One common problem identified by ECPAT in all these countries visited was a lack of legislation to protect children from prostitution and a general helplessness in how best to address the issue. So the idea of a workshop, focusing on legal aspects, was bom with the aim to bring together stakeholders from the various countries to learn from each other’s experiences and begin to formulate responses to child prostitution and prevent child prostitution in tourism. The Network Against Child Labour (NACL) South Africa was able to organise a workshop with the financial support from Bread for the World. Participants from NGO’s and governments from Kenya, Mozambique, Zambia, Zimbabwe and South Africa attended this first workshop on child prostitution in the region. Two international legal experts and advisers to ECPAT were present and partly facilitated the workshop, enriching our work with their expertise and world wide experience. The aim of the workshop extended beyond a focus on the legal aspects of child prostitution. Other specific purposes were networking, exchanging each other’s experience and achievements in order to develop strategies to combat child prostitution and finding a common ground for co-ordinated action. The Human Science Research Council (HSRC) provided a venue for the workshop and catered for the event. Dr. Willem Schurink from the HSRC organised, together with the Child Protection Unit from the South African Police, a tour to Johannesburg in areas were child prostitution is considered rife. This gave the participants an insight into the situation in South Africa’s largest city and “economic capital”. The two days of our workshop were intense and enriching. We all learned from each other’s experience and realised that there are many common problems that could be tackled with mutual support and advice in order to change legislation, policies and attitudes in the respective countries in the Eastern and Southern African region to ensure that the problem of child prostitution is declining and eventually eradicated. Continued networking and intensifying contacts will be part of our future efforts to combat child prostitution. The NACL wants to take this occasion to thank all participants for their efforts and contributions that made the workshop a success: Muireann OBrian and Denise Ritchie, who helped us in organising and facilitating. Thanks to our two volunteers, Rakgadi Masetlha and Tilman Rapp for the organisation of the workshop and especially to Dr. Willem Schurink of the HSRC, as well as to the funder - Bread for the World. With this publication we hope not only to reach stakeholders in South Africa and the region but to contribute our experience to world wide efforts to eradicate the degrading and often lethal practice of child prostitution by encouraging organisations and individuals to join a network in order to fight the problem

Child Abuse and its Implications for the Educational Sector in Nigeria

Child abuse has become a global problem that needs to be tackled if children are to be given the right to education and freedom. The issue of child abuse has been given serious attention in many parts of the world and Nigeria is not left out. Given this serious effort, one would have thought that this menace will not persist. However a look at the society shows that child abuse occurs not only at home but has found its way into the school system thus constituting a barrier to the attainment of sound educational development in the country. This paper discusses the prevalence of child abuse in the school and its impact on the educational development of the child. Based on the prevalence of abuses in the school, the author recommends that there should be public enlightenment programme and education to combat the mass ignorance on the acts that constitute abuse and to protect the Nigerian child against these abuses so as to benefit maximally from the education system

Child Abuse and Emotional Stability among Senior Secondary School Students in Cross River State, Nigeria

Survey data collected from 2,000 Senior Secondary Two (SS II) Students in Cross River State, Nigeria were analysed to determine the influence of child abuse on later emotional stability of the individual. Four dimensions of child abuse namely: physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse and child neglect were considered in the study. One Way Analysis of Variance was used in testing the hypothesis at 0.05 Alpha levels. The result  obtained showed a significant influence of child abuse on the individual later emotional stability

The Impact of Education on Child Abuse Prevention

This research investigates the impact of education on child abuse prevention in Vietnam by using Vietnamese government's reports (2012 – 2019) on child abuse. In order to analyze the impact of education on child abuse prevention, this study focuses on reviewing the previous policies in preventing child abuse, surveying three main determinants of parents, teachers and children and testing the data collected from the survey. The result shows that education plays an important role in improving the ability to take actions against child abuse. Some recommendations to parents, teachers, children and the government are also proposed for encouraging improvements in child abuse prevention education. Keywords: Child Abuse Prevention, Education, Vietnam DOI: 10.7176/EJBM/12-20-09 Publication date:July 31st 202

The negative effect of child labour on academic performance of secondary school students in central senatorial district of Cross River State-Nigeria

The desire to provide research information about the prevalence of child labour, its effects and educational factors was the focus of this research. The focus of this study is on child labour as an aspect of child abuse and neglect. The goal of the research on child abuse and academic performance of children who participate in it as a routine scholars and people have defined child labour in several ways. In a nutshell it is the exploitation of children, premature assumption of adult roles on the part of children; working long hours for low wages in the central senatorial district in Cross River State of Nigeria, the study has two main purposes: To determine the factors, which influence students involvement in child labour and lastly, to compare the relationship between child labour and academic performance of those who are engaged in the activities with those who do not. The data used in testing the hypothesis were gotten from the post-test scores of all the subjects. Hypotheses were tested at .0.5 level of significance. Based on the results of the hypotheses, the following recommendations were made. Thus, it is time that the Federal, State and Local Governments embark on mass enlightenment campaigns to expose the bad side of driving children into child labour. This could be done through the use of mass media, schools and social welfare establishments to educate parents/guardians over the dangers of exposing their children to child labour as an act of child abuse. Government should stop mass retrenchments and unemployment of parents to ease poverty.Keywords: Child labour, Abuse, Academic performance and Effec

Obstacles, Controversies and Prospects Surrounding Child Abuse Management in Addis Ababa

Corporal punishment by parents or guardians, family members and relatives is an accepted cultural practice in Ethiopia. Aside from parents and other family members, many children are also abused (physically and sexually) by other persons who by chance meet them. At the same time, there are undergoing activities related to child abuse management by concerned institutions. Coordinated child abuse management involves various professionals and institutions. This paper examines the situation of child abuse and its management in Addis Ababa focusing on challenges and controversies revolving around this social problem. It assess pertinent issues involved in child abuse management on the basis of the information obtained from case studies of abused children and abusers, agents of the criminal justice system (the police, lawyers, the judges), medical professionals, social workers, sociologists, psychologists and etc. The child abuse issue in Addis Ababa appears mainly linked to general conditions of poverty. Further, the main problem in child abuse management seems to be the absence of coordination among various agents, and lack of adequate resources and institutional facilities in place

Child Abuse and Academic Performance of Secondary School Students in Central Senatorial District of Cross River State.

The need to provide research information about the prevalence of street hawking, its effects and educational factors was the focus of this research. The focus of this study is on street hawking as an aspect of child labour, abuse and neglect. The goal of the research on child abuse and academic performance of children who participate in it as a routine scholars and people have defined child labour in several ways. In a nutshell it is the exploitation of children, premature assumption of adult roles on the part of children; working long hours for low wages.in the central senatorial district in Cross River State of Nigeria, has three main purposes: to identify the extent of students involvement in street hawking. Secondly, determine the factors, which influence students involvement in street hawking and lastly to compare the relationship between street hawking and academic performance of those who are engaged in the activities with those who do not. The data used in testing the hypothesis were gotten from the post-test scores of all the subjects. Hypothesis were tested at. 0.5 level of significance. Based on the results of the hypotheses, recommendations were made.Keywords: Child Labour, Abuse, Street Hawking, Academic Performance and Effect

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CHILD SEXUAL, PHYSICAL, PSYCHOLOGICAL, EMOTIONAL AND RITUALISTIC ABUSE AMONG HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS IN THE NORTHERN PROVINCE, SOUTH AFRICA

This study is an investigation into the relationship between child sexual, physical, psychological, emotional and ritualistic abuse among high school students in the Northern Province (South Africa). Gender and urban-rural differences are also examined in relation to child sexual abuse. The method of secondary data analysis was used to analyse the same data used by Madu and Peltzer (1998, 2000) and Madu, Peltzer and Mashego (1998). Logistic Regression Analysis shows that among all the participants child sexual abuse correlates positively with psychological and emotional forms of child abuse. No gender correlated significantly with child sexual abuse. Chi-Square analysis for village-urban difference shows that child sexual abuse occurs more often in the urban areas than in the villages. The authors conclude that mental health workers and social workers should take note of the above relationship in planning preventive and therapeutic strategies for victims of child abuse in the area

Sexual Abuse of Children in Awka, Anambra State Nigeria

This exploratory study used sixty six (66) children as research participants aimed at establishing the following: the incidence of sexual abuse of children in Awka, the Anambra State Capital of Nigeria, and its environs; the profiles of the victims and assailants; the motivational factors associated with the problem. Findings revealed a high incidence of sexual abuse among children in Awka and its environment. The result also showed that almost every child is vulnerable to being sexually abused by parents, guardians, relatives, caretakers or strangers. Based on this, a viable child protection policy by government was advocated. Keywords: Sexual Abuse, Children in Awka, Anambra State, Nigeri