NCJ Number
202550
Journal
Child Abuse & Neglect Volume: 25 Issue: 11 Dated: November 2001 Pages: 1517-1534
Date Published
November 2001
Length
18 pages
Annotation
This study's primary objective was to investigate the nature and magnitude of reported cases of teacher-perpetrated sexual abuse of rural primary school students in Zimbabwe; the study also determined the distribution of reported cases of child sexual abuse according to the characteristics of victims and perpetrators.
Abstract
Data for this retrospective case series study were obtained from six randomly selected regional officers of the Ministry of Education's nine administrative regions where files of teacher perpetrators of the sexual abuse of students were kept. The study focused on reported cases of student sexual abuse by teachers between January 1, 1990, and December 31, 1997. A total of 110 such cases were reported during this period. A total of 108 (98 percent) of the victims were girls, and all perpetrators were male teachers. Penetrative sex was the most prevalent (70 percent) type of sexual abuse. The mean age of the victims was 12 years old. Teachers who had been in the profession for 5 years or less composed 63 percent of the perpetrators. Seventy-eight percent of the cases handled by the courts resulted in convictions, and 83 percent of the perpetrators were dismissed from the teaching service. Based on these findings, the authors suggest the need to review preservice programs that screen and instruct teachers. Students should also be made more aware of the nature and risks of sexual abuse from adults. Further studies are needed to advance understanding of the scope and nature of teacher-perpetrated child sexual abuse in both rural and urban primary schools, so that effective prevention strategies can be designed. 6 tables and 45 references