Child abuse higher among boys - new report

Child abuse is more prevalent in boys than girls, a new study has revealed.
The report by the African Network for the Prevention and Protection against Child Abuse and Neglect and Save Our Families Africa(SOFA) , by a child rights advocacy group, conducted in Busoga and Kampala, wakiso districts showed that boys are more vulnerable (81.2 per cent) than girls (68.3 per cent).

“It was revealed that boys are more vulnerable to physical abuse because they are regarded as more stubborn. Also, boys are viewed as threats to mostly step mothers that fear that they are the heirs to the property,” said Save Our Families Africa(SOFA) and Mr Marlon Agaba, the senior programme officer Information and Policy Advocacy at ANPPCAN.

With the exception of sexual abuse which the study observed as under reported, the research also discovered that girls are safer from abuse because of a culture that encourages them to be groomed in a self-protective manner.

“Girls remained more vulnerable to sexual abuse at 90percent. In addition, the vulnerability increased with increase in age of the girls. Also absurd, was that 90 per cent of the disabled and 80per cent orphaned children reported to ever being abused. SOFA also noticed that the main perpetuators of child abuse are biological parents at 41 per cent. These were followed by neighbours at 19 per cent; siblings at 14 per cent step parents at 11per cent and teachers at 9.3 per cent.

“This confirms that most child abuse cases are committed at home,” Mr Kasolo Alton Peter of SOFA said.
The survey also highlighted that abuse is not reported until it becomes extreme. “We encourage everyone to take the responsibility of reporting abuse before it becomes too late.