An Exploratory Study of Child Sexual Abuse in Tanzania

There are no prevalence data for childhood sexual abuse among Tanzanian university students. This investigation addressed this paucity. The nature of sexual abuse and the contextual issues exacerbating the problem of CSA were explored. The research questions explored were as follows: 1. At what rate do university students in Tanzania report experiences of child sexual abuse? 2. What is the nature of child sexual abuse in Tanzania? 3. Who perpetrates child sexual abuse in Tanzania? 4. What are the effects/consequences of child sexual abuse in Tanzania? 5. What are the causes of child sexual abuse in Tanzania? An ecological framework will be employed in this research. An ecological prism is useful for investigating CSA in Tanzania because it recognises that individuals are inseparable from the context in which they live and that this context has significant influences on them. Participants (N= 487) from a university in Tanzania completed a questionnaire, which assessed abusive childhood sexual experiences, gathering information about age of victim, duration of abuse, perpetrators, amount of force or persuasion involved, and potential causes of child sexual abuse. A number of individuals were also interviewed about their experiences. Two focus groups and a review of case files also added to the research. The overall prevalence rate for child sexual abuse was 27.7%, with rates being higher for females than for males. The average age of the victim when abuse occurred was 13.8 years. Perpetrators were generally unidentified by respondents; nonetheless, a surprisingly high proportion of female perpetrators was noted. Poverty was the primary explanation given for child sexual abuse. Contextual factors exacerbating the problem of CSA were identified such as the patriarchal nature of society, the transactional nature of sexual relations, the low status of children, and the avoidance of HIV. The findings of this study suggest that child sexual abuse exists in Tanzania at similar levels to those reported throughout the world and that some of this abuse is a product of a need for economic support and survival. It is suggested that poverty feeds the “sugar daddy/mammy” phenomenon, which aggravates the problem of CSA. The avoidance of HIV is another potential factor fueling the sexual abuse of children in the region. It is argued that CSA is occuring in a patriarchial cultural context, making women and children particularly vulnerable to sexual abuse. A strong incest taboo and the higher rates of sexual abuse of boys need further investigation in the Tanzanian context. This thesis has particular relevance to students, researchers, and academics undertaking research projects focusing on child protection in SSA

Childhood Sexual Abuse Among University Students in Tanzania

Objectives: There are no prevalence data for childhood sexual abuse among Tanzanian university students. This investigation addressed this paucity. The nature of sexual abuse was also investigated. Method: Participants (N= 487) from a university in Tanzania completed a questionnaire which assessed abusive childhood sexual experiences, gathering information about age of victim, duration of abuse, perpetrators, amount of force or persuasion involved, and potential causes of child sexual abuse. A number of individuals were also interviewed about their experiences. Results: The overall prevalence rate for child sexual abuse was 27.7%, with rates being higher for females than for males. The average age of the victim when abuse occurred was 13.8 years. Perpetrators were generally unidentified by respondents; nonetheless, a surprisingly high proportion of female perpetrators was noted. There was a considerable amount of force or persuasion involved in the abusive behavior: betrayal of trust, bribes and physical force were cited frequently. Poverty and superstition were the primary explanations given for child sexual abuse. Conclusion: The study provides evidence for the existence of child sexual abuse in Tanzania. Poverty feeds the “sugar daddy/mammy” phenomenon and combined with various forms of superstition is an important factor in child sexual abuse in Tanzania

Review of a Community-based Youth Counselling Service

The structure and operation of a community-based youth counselling service operated by the Kildare Youth Services (KYS) is examined with a view to highlighting its preventative nature. Presenting problems are explored, in the context of the wider social milieu. Particularly, recent trends in sexual behaviour, substance abuse and child sexual abuse are examined. Interviews were conducted with a sample of professionals who referred clients, patients and students to the KYS Youth Counselling Service. Interviews were also conducted with a small sample of clients of the service and with the counsellor-coordinator of the Youth Counselling Service. The service was viewed positively throughout the community and its role in the prevention of further distress was highlighted

Childhood Sexual Abuse Among University Students in Tanzania

Objectives: There are no prevalence data for childhood sexual abuse among Tanzanian university students. This investigation addressed this paucity. The nature of sexual abuse was also investigated. Method: Participants (N= 487) from a university in Tanzania completed a questionnaire which assessed abusive childhood sexual experiences, gathering information about age of victim, duration of abuse, perpetrators, amount of force or persuasion involved, and potential causes of child sexual abuse. A number of individuals were also interviewed about their experiences. Results: The overall prevalence rate for child sexual abuse was 27.7%, with rates being higher for females than for males. The average age of the victim when abuse occurred was 13.8 years. Perpetrators were generally unidentified by respondents; nonetheless, a surprisingly high proportion of female perpetrators was noted. There was a considerable amount of force or persuasion involved in the abusive behavior: betrayal of trust, bribes and physical force were cited frequently. Poverty and superstition were the primary explanations given for child sexual abuse. Conclusion: The study provides evidence for the existence of child sexual abuse in Tanzania. Poverty feeds the “sugar daddy/mammy” phenomenon and combined with various forms of superstition is an important factor in child sexual abuse in Tanzania

The critical roles of platelet activation and reduced NO bioavailability in fatal pulmonary arterial hypertension in a murine hemolysis model

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is suspected to be a strong mortality determinant of hemolytic disorders. However, direct contribution of acute intravascular hemolysis to fatal PAH has not been investigated. The roles of nitric oxide (NO) insufficiency and platelet activation in hemolysis-associated fatal PAH have been suspected but not been experimentally studied. We recently generated a unique intravascular hemolysis mouse model in which the membrane toxin, intermedilysin (ILY), exclusively lyses the erythrocytes of transgenically expressing human CD59 mice (ThCD59RBC), thereby inducing ILY-dose–dependent massive hemolysis. Using this murine hemolysis model, we found that the acute increase in pulmonary arterial pressure leading to right ventricle failure caused sudden death. Reduced NO bioavailability and massive platelet activation/aggregation leading to the formation of massive thrombosis specifically in the pulmonary microvasculature played the critical roles in pathogenesis of acute hemolysis-associated fatal PAH. Therapeutic interventions enhancing NO bioactivity or inhibiting platelet activation prevented sudden death or prolonged survival time via the suppression of the acute increase in pulmonary arterial pressure and improvement of right ventricle function. These findings further highlight the importance of the inhibition of platelet activation and the enhancement of NO bioavailability for the treatment and prevention of hemolysis-associated (fatal) PAH