Child Sexual Abuse in Nigeria: A Systematic Review - Abstract
Child sexual abuse is a major social and public health issue which creates short- and long lasting impacts on victims, families, and society. While global researchers have considered the topic of CSA since the 19th century, the Nigerian context has been largely ignored. Yet, without sufficient evidence and understanding, making changes to practices and policies becomes almost impossible. This article presents the findings of a systematic review of the 31 available empirical articles related to CSA in Nigeria. Using key search terms along Boolean operators and truncation, the PubMed, Psyc INFO, CINAHL, ASSIA, PILOTS, and African Journals Online (AJOL) and Google Scholar were searched. A total of 31 empirical studies including 20 quantitative, nine qualitative and two mixed methods studies were included. This section presents the discourse on child sexual abuse and delves into various aspects such as its prevalence, manifestation patterns, root causes, and consequential impact on victims and societal domains. Additionally, the gaps in the existing literature are identified and explored to identify areas for improvement in victim services, societal awareness, and healthcare practices. Children’s vulnerability to sexual abuse was heightened by socio-cultural norms which also acted as barriers to the child disclosing the abuse. Evidence suggests that survivors of child sexual abuse often receive inadequate care, indicating a pressing need for improvements in this area. Implications for research and conclusion from this review were discussed.