Self reported experience of sexual abuse among children in their homes in Ilorin Nigeria

Introduction The sexual abuse of children is well documented in literature. Data on it from Nigeria is rather sparse. The current study examines the prevalence and pattern of sexual abuse with a view to increasing our understanding of it. Objectives To determine the prevalence and pattern of sexual abuse of children at home in Ilorin Nigeria. Methods A cross sectional survey of secondary school students aged 11-18 years in Ilorin Nigeria using multistage random sampling technique with proportional allocation was done. Respondents completed the ICAST-CH questionnaire which covers child abuse in its several forms including sexual abuse. Prevalence of sexual abuse was computed. Results Over a third (586) of participants experienced some form of sexual abuse in the last year. Table 1: prevalence and pattern of sexual abuse at home Sexual Abuse* (n=586) Frequency Percentage Talked to you in a sexual way 420 71.7 Touched private parts 333 56.8 Showed pornography 149 25.4 Made you look at private parts 136 23.2 Tried to have sex with you (unwilling) 61 10.4 Made a sex video of you - - Conclusions Sexual abuse of children occurs commonly in Ilorin Nigeria. There is a need for further research towards understnding it determinants towards strengthening systems of safeguarding children against it. Disclosure No significant relationships.