Cultural Factors Associated with Sexual Abuse Among the Young People in Kibera Slums, Nairobi City County, Kenya

Introduction: Sexual abuse is a crime that is of concern to society. It is particularly more serious when committed against children, many of whom suffer in silence. Sexual abuse among young people has long history in Kenyan. The Sexually abused children often suffer from suicide tendencies, negative self-esteem, low self-efficacy, stigma and discrimination. Reports indicate that most children are sexually abused by people known to them. Objective: The aim of this study was to identify the determinants of sexual abuse among young people in Kibera slums, Nairobi City County, Kenya. Methodology: The study adopted an analytical cross-sectional approach to research; using primary data for both quantitative and qualitative analysis. The data was collected by use of questionnaires, FGD and KII interviews guide. Study adopted stratified random sampling technique and systematic sampling was used to identify the villages to select with the help of the administrative officers and saturation method was used to select key informants. Quantitative data was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Chi-square and Fischer’s Exact Test were used to measure association between independent and dependent variables. Results: At least 102(38.5%) of young people who participated had experienced sexual abuse such as rape/attempted rape (48.8%), forced kisses (41.6%) and forced hugs (41.5%) among girls and sexual violence reported (66.7%) forceful touching of private parts (15.6%) among boys. Divorce (ꭓ2=5.732; df 1; p=0.031), weak laws (p=0.001), and alcohol consumption (p < 0.001) were significantly associated with sexual abuse. Conclusion: The study reveals high rates of sexual violence among young people in Kibera slums, with females being more affected. The perpetrators are often known to survivors. Cultural factors like denial of legal rights, weak laws, and alcohol consumption contribute to the issue. Key words: Sexual Abuse, Youths, Alcoholism, Sexual Violence, Slums