The (in)security and educational perspectives of child sexual abuse: insights from Nigerian newspaper records

The global prevalence of Child Sexual Abuse (CSA) is alarming, and it constitutes a significant economic and security burden on people and communities around the world. In Africa, the situation is exacerbated by the prevalence of physical abuse, with far-reaching security and educational impacts on the children and society. An analysis of CSA studies in Nigeria presents vast evidence of CSA prevalence, with clear indications of their negative impacts on a child’s wellbeing and development into adulthood. Most CSA studies have focussed on the frequency and the psychological impact of CSA on children, without tracing the pathway to the perpetration of the abuse from child security and educational perspectives. This study aimed at establishing child’s (in) security provisions in different environmental settings (home and school) as an important factor in CSA in Nigeria. The study relied on secondary data collected online from four newspapers in Nigeria. Narrative data collected were transformed to values and analysed using frequencies, percentages, and subsequently presented in tables and figures. In all, fifty-three cases reported in four national daily newspapers were purposively selected and analysed. Results indicated that twenty-five (47.2%) children were victims of forced intercourse perpetrated by co-tenants and street neighbours, while 15 (28.3%) were victimized by their fathers. Based on the findings, it was concluded that the child, family, school, local communities, and the government should be involved in the prevention and control of CSA. Thus, for the effective prevention and control of child sexual abuse, both security and educational efforts should focus on the totality of the child’s ecology and the factors that enable the perpetration of CSA.