Department of Psychology, Bielefeld University, Postbox 100131, 33501, Bielefeld, Germany.
Department of Psychology, University of Konstanz, 78567, Konstanz, Germany; Department of Educational Foundations and Psychology, Mbarara University of Science and Technology, P.O. Box 1410, Mbarara, Uganda.
Child Abuse Negl. 2020 Nov;109:104711. doi: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2020.104711. Epub 2020 Sep 11.
Sexual violence against minors is a global phenomenon with wide-ranging negative consequences. Global reports suggest that it is a particularly serious issue in East African countries, although research on prevalence and characteristics of violence in these countries is scarce.
The aim of this study was to assess sexual violence and its circumstances among Tanzanian and Ugandan adolescents.
Two representative samples of secondary school students aged 12-17 from Tanzania and Uganda (N = 1402) were included in this study.
Data assessed using standardized questionnaires were analyzed to determine prevalence, characteristics, and contributing factors of sexual violence among youth.
We found high levels of sexual violence (27.2 %) exceeding global average estimates of under 20 %. Significantly more sexual violence experiences were reported by boys (29.9 %) than girls (24.6 %) and by older compared to younger adolescents (30.2 % vs. 19.6 %). Peers were the most frequent perpetrator group, named by 47.6 % of those reporting abuse. Several potential contributing factors for victimization were identified, such as rural living area, external financial support, and being in a romantic relationship.
Sexual violence is a relevant issue among East African adolescents that occurs in a variety of settings but appears to be most prevalent between peers. Comprehensive sexual education approaches may help to improve the protection of adolescents and to enhance autonomous sexual development.
性暴力侵害未成年人是一种全球性现象，会带来广泛的负面影响。全球报告显示，东非国家尤其存在严重的性暴力问题，尽管这些国家关于暴力流行程度和特征的研究很少。
本研究旨在评估坦桑尼亚和乌干达青少年的性暴力及其情况。
本研究纳入了来自坦桑尼亚和乌干达的两所具有代表性的 12-17 岁中学生样本（N=1402）。
使用标准化问卷评估数据，以确定青少年中性暴力的流行程度、特征和促成因素。
我们发现性暴力水平较高（27.2%），超过了全球 20%以下的平均估计值。与女孩（24.6%）相比，男孩（29.9%）报告的性暴力经历更多，与年龄较小的青少年相比，年龄较大的青少年（30.2%比 19.6%）报告的性暴力经历更多。同伴是最常见的施暴者群体，有 47.6%的受虐者提到了这一点。确定了几个潜在的促成因素，例如农村居住地区、外部经济支持和处于恋爱关系中。
性暴力是东非青少年的一个相关问题，它发生在各种环境中，但似乎在同龄人之间最为普遍。全面的性教育方法可能有助于保护青少年，并促进自主的性发展。
