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Sexual abuse of boys in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa: a hospital-based study
Abstract
Objective — The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence and factors associated with child sexual abuse in a total sample of boys referred for medico-legal assessment in a peri-urban area of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.
Method — A retrospective analysis was undertaken of clinical and social work records for sexually abused boys presenting for medico-legal assessment at the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Hospital (Phoenix, KwaZulu-Natal) during the period January 2001 to December 2003.
Results — In the period reviewed, 131 boys reported an incident of sexual abuse with temporal trends indicating a significant increase in the incidence of reported abuse over the three year period. Most victims fell in the 4–11 year age category, anal penetration constituted the most common form of abuse (86% of cases), and perpetrators were predominantly persons who were known to the child.
Conclusion — Study findings indicate that the sexual abuse of boys constitutes a sizeable and emerging problem in peri-urban communities in South Africa. Evidence suggests that increased rates of victimisation are associated with a breakdown in family support networks in the context of rapid urbanisation.
Journal of Child and Adolescent Mental Health 2005, 17(1): 23–25
Method — A retrospective analysis was undertaken of clinical and social work records for sexually abused boys presenting for medico-legal assessment at the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Hospital (Phoenix, KwaZulu-Natal) during the period January 2001 to December 2003.
Results — In the period reviewed, 131 boys reported an incident of sexual abuse with temporal trends indicating a significant increase in the incidence of reported abuse over the three year period. Most victims fell in the 4–11 year age category, anal penetration constituted the most common form of abuse (86% of cases), and perpetrators were predominantly persons who were known to the child.
Conclusion — Study findings indicate that the sexual abuse of boys constitutes a sizeable and emerging problem in peri-urban communities in South Africa. Evidence suggests that increased rates of victimisation are associated with a breakdown in family support networks in the context of rapid urbanisation.
Journal of Child and Adolescent Mental Health 2005, 17(1): 23–25
