Child sexual abuse. An analysis of the situation in post-war Sierra Leone (PDF)

Master's Thesis from the year 2008 in the subject Sociology - Relationships and Family, grade: B, University of Bradford (Centre for African Studies Peace Studies Department), course: Post Graduate in Peace Studies, language: English, abstract: 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.