SEXUAL ABUSE OF SCHOOL CHILDREN IN THE W A WEST DISTRICT

Abstract

Violence against children in educational settings has been woefully underestimated . In spite of the lack of recent reliable and systematic recording of this silent crime , an increasing number of small scale survey -based and qualitative studies call attention to the large impact of school-based violence on children's lives . Most sexual violence at school is particularly hidden, owing primarily to the sense of shame felt by victims . Given the important role children could play in the future development of Ghana and the importance of education in developing their full potentials as future leaders of the country , the problem investigated is the high incidence of sexual abuse of school children in the Wa West District . A methodological symbiosis between quantitative and qualitative approaches to research was employed in this study based on the theoretical underpinnings, objective, research problem, data collection and analysis of the study. It became obvious from the study that : most of the victims of child sexual abuse in and around the school environment were girls; the children were active sexually ; the abuse and harassment was in the form of unwelcome sexual advances (verbal and non-verbal) with some incidence of sexual intercourse ; the main perpetrators were schoolmates/friends and few community members ; the victims experienced various negative physical and emotional effects on their relationships and school performance . In view of the fact that, students themselves are the main victims as well as the perpetuators, it is more imperative than ever to sensitise, inculcate and consolidate the knowledge of child abuse, rights and responsibilities in and among the children , parents , teachers , policy-makers . To deal with the issue of child sexual abuse , there is the need to adopt a participatory approach . This process calls for a new set of approaches that will seriously take into consideration the perspectives of the local people .