Child Sexual Abuse among secondary school pupils in Gweru, Zimbabwe

Child sexual abuse (CSA) remains an issue of grave concern in both developing and developed countries because it is associated with numerous short- and long devastating consequences. Regrettably, literature on this social vice remains concentrated in developed countries. This book attempted to close this paucity in literature by addressing the prevalence, correlates, and implications of CSA among secondary schools pupils in Gweru, Zimbabwe. The study adopted a post-positivist paradigm and used the concurrent triangulation design as the operational framework for data gathering.It contains views from students, school heads, teachers and child counsellors. There were four major findings. First, a very high prevalence rate of sexual abuse was reported among both male and female students. Second, a wide range of characteristics was associated with sexual abuse, and mediated by respondents’ gender and level of education. Third, sexual abuse was associated with negative academic and behavioural outcomes.Fourth,several prevention strategies were suggested by students, school heads, teachers and child counsellors. Several recommendations are given.