Despite its responsibility to protect the citizens of the state, getting government to account, intervene, prevent and respond to the human rights violations including child sexual abuse is a critical challenge to NGOs, and CSOs who should be working in partnership with government to protect children from sexual abuse. This study seeks to explore these challenges in a post-conflict environment where civil authority and social structure have been destroyed and to suggest possible ways of improving the interventions, preventions and response strategies used by the government and NGOs within a culture context.
Child sexual abuse is not a particular phenomenon to post–war Sierra Leone, but a common feature of most war-torn African countries. It is one of the most pervasive human rights challenges in post–war reconstruction and development. But the magnitude of the problem is often underestimated as most incidents of sexual abuse go unreported which is character of environments were the culture of silence is dominant. Although child sexual abuse predates civil wars, it is aggravated by breakdown of law and other created by the armed conflict which has physical, emotional and psychological effects on the child victims.
Globally, child abuse is one of the most pervasive human rights challenges but not often given the desired attention it deserves. Where states fail to uphold their obligation to protect children from abuse, they remain "silent victims’’. In conflict situations such as in DR Congo, Liberia and Ivory Coast, children are prone to systematic exploitation including sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA), rape, neglect, abduction and conscription. For example, the zeid investigations of SEA allegations levied against UN peacekeepers in DR congo concluded that of the 105 cases of SEA committed by peacekeepers who were mandated to protect the vulnerable population, 45% were against girls below 18 years.
In 2002, similar allegations were also made against UN workers and peacekeepers in West Africa who were working with refugees and internally displaced women and children, a situation that brought the UN under disrepute. It is estimated that about 275 million children are potential victims of sexual violence. This may be an underestimation as most incidents of sexual violence go unreported.
Table of Contents
Chapter One: Introduction
1.1 Overview of study
1.2 Sierra Leone civil war and impact on children
1.3 Conceptual framework for analysis
1.4 Methodology
1.5 Definition of terms and concepts
1.6 Organisation of work
Chapter Two: Conceptualising Child Sexual Abuse
2.1 Introduction
2.2 Child sexual abuse
2.3 Impact of sexual abuse on children
2.4 Child Sexual Abuse and International Protection Instruments
2.5 Key domestic protection instruments
2.6 Conclusions
Chapter Three: Understanding child sexual abuse in post Sierra Leone.
3.1 Introduction
3.2 Extent of the problems
3.3 Child sexual abuse within families.
3.4 Child sexual abuse in communities
3.5 Child sexual abuse in institutions
3.5.1 Residential care
3.5.2 Detention centres
3.5.3 Educational institutions
3.6 Child commercial sex exploitation
3.7 Accountability
3.8 Conclusions
Chapter Four: Interventions, preventions and responses to child sexual abuse
4.1 Introduction
4.1.1. Interventions by government
4.1.2 Government’s prevention strategies
4.1.3 government’s response strategies
4.2 NGO related interventions, preventions and responses
4.2.1 NGO interventions and preventions
4.2.2 NGO response to child sexual abuse.
4.3 Traditional and socio-cultural implications
4.4 Conclusions
Chapter Five: Key finding and concluding recommendation
5.1 Key finding
5.2 Recommendations.
Research Objectives and Thematic Focus
This dissertation aims to explore the challenges of child protection against sexual abuse and exploitation in post-conflict Sierra Leone. The research seeks to identify the effectiveness of current government and NGO interventions and to propose actionable strategies to improve protection, prevention, and response mechanisms within the specific cultural and social context of a country recovering from a decade-long civil war.
- The impact of post-conflict environments on the prevalence of Child Sexual Abuse (CSA).
- Evaluation of existing national and international child protection legal frameworks.
- Analysis of the institutional and familial settings where abuse occurs.
- Assessment of the roles and limitations of government and NGOs in service delivery.
- The influence of socio-cultural traditions and "culture of silence" on reporting and justice.
Excerpt from the Book
3.3 Child sexual abuse within families.
According to the UDHR, CPR and the ES&CR, a family is the natural and functional unity of society which should provide a safe environment for the child. However, some families have turned out to be unsafe for children as parent, as well people close to the families perpetrate violence especially rape against the children. What remains controversial in this context, is the challenge of monitoring and reporting such incidents as perpetrators consider it an interference into their ‘private spheres’ even when the state bears the primary responsibility to promote the right of the child.
The incestuous pattern to a large extend, is still underreported as child victims shy away from family discord with no alternative ‘safe homes’ to run to NGO such as the IRC and Oxfam GBV support programme only provide immediate service delivery with non residential care support system. The MSWGCA also has no functional alternative care system other than negotiated faster-care placement within family, preceding haphazard assessment and no case conference to decide on that placement. Child victims have had to choices but to compromise their abuse. In some instance, where children have reported incident of ABUSE, the investigation procedures have not always been in the best interest of the child victims but rather, they cause them additional significant psychological harm. The IRC’s sexual assault project reported that, of the 49% victims who were abuse at home, got treated and had to return to the same unsafe environment, 40% were re-abused by the same perpetrators.76
Summary of Chapters
Chapter One: Introduction: Provides an overview of the study, the impact of the civil war on children, and the methodology used to conduct this research.
Chapter Two: Conceptualising Child Sexual Abuse: Reviews the sociological and psychological theories surrounding CSA and discusses international protection instruments.
Chapter Three: Understanding child sexual abuse in post Sierra Leone.: Analyzes the extent and patterns of CSA within families, communities, and institutions, highlighting the challenges in data collection and reporting.
Chapter Four: Interventions, preventions and responses to child sexual abuse: Evaluates the policies and programmatic actions taken by the government and NGOs to address CSA and the impact of socio-cultural norms.
Chapter Five: Key finding and concluding recommendation: Summarizes the research findings and provides specific recommendations for improving child protection and justice mechanisms.
Keywords
Child Sexual Abuse, Sierra Leone, Human Rights, Protection, Post-conflict, Victims, Perpetrators, Rape, Government, NGOs, Child Protection, Intervention, Prevention, Exploitation, Accountability.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this dissertation?
The work examines the challenges of protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation in post-conflict Sierra Leone, focusing on the gaps in current interventions and the socio-cultural factors that perpetuate the issue.
What are the central thematic fields covered?
The study covers the prevalence of CSA, the legal framework for child protection, institutional versus familial abuse, the role of NGOs versus government, and the influence of cultural norms on justice.
What is the core research objective?
The objective is to explore the effectiveness of existing intervention strategies and to identify ways to improve the response of both the government and NGOs to child sexual abuse.
Which scientific methodology is applied?
The author uses Action Research, which allows for a problem-solving approach involving practitioners, incorporating both qualitative narratives and quantitative analysis of secondary data.
What is discussed in the main body?
The main body examines the state of child protection in communities and institutions, the failure of the justice system to prosecute perpetrators, and the disconnect between national policies and the reality of survivors.
Which keywords best characterize this research?
Key terms include Child Sexual Abuse, Sierra Leone, post-conflict, protection, human rights, NGO intervention, and judicial accountability.
How does the "culture of silence" impact child protection?
The author notes that cultural imperatives, fear of stigmatization, and family pressure lead to underreporting and "out-of-court" settlements, which ultimately deny justice to the victims.
Why is the government's role considered critical yet insufficient?
While the government has enacted laws like the Child Rights Act 2007, it lacks the institutional capacity, funding, and political will to enforce these laws effectively, often shifting the burden to NGOs.
- Citation du texte
- David Sidikie Yambasu (Auteur), 2008, Child sexual abuse. An analysis of the situation in post-war Sierra Leone, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/462602
