Affiliation:
1. Department of Social Work, North-West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa
2. Lifestyle Diseases Research Entity, Faculty of Health Sciences, North-West University, South Africa.
3. Department of Psychology, University of Johannesburg, South Africa.
Abstract
Child sexual abuse has become a global phenomenon. The statistics of sexual abuse of a girl child by relatives and/or other people known to the girl child are shocking. Various factors predispose a girl child to be susceptible to sexual abuse. As a result, the purpose of this study was to review the existing literature on the psychosocial effects of sexual abuse on a girl child. The study used a scoping review guided by PRISMA-ScR guidelines. African Journals Online, Sabinet African Journals, EBSCOHost, PubMed, and ScienceDirect were used in the study to compile papers that were assessed for their coverage of the psychosocial impacts of child sexual abuse on girls between 2012 and 2023. The collected data was narratively analysed using thematic analysis. The study revealed that child sexual abuse has an impact on the mental health of the girl child which leads to their behavioural change. It further revealed that children are afraid to disclose sexual abuse as they fear secondary victimisation in the community. It was recommended that community awareness and education be organised to equip community members about the impact of stigmatisation on victims, and appropriate ways must be created to respond to the disclosure of sexual abuse. This study contributes to the academic field of child psychology and social work by offering a comprehensive analysis of the psychosocial impacts of child sexual abuse on girls in Sub-Saharan Africa, identifying gaps in current literature, and providing evidence-based recommendations for community and policy-level interventions. Its findings underscore the critical need for gender- and age-specific research and interventions to mitigate the profound effects of sexual abuse on vulnerable populations.
Keywords: Effects, Girl Child, Psychosocial, Sexual Abuse, Scoping Review
Reference44 articles.
1. Abbasi, Maryam Ajilian, Masumeh Saeidi, Gholamreza Khademi, Bibi Leila Hoseini, and Zahra Emami Moghadam. “Child Maltreatment in the Worldwide: A Review Article.” Int J Pediatr 3, no. 1–1 (2015): 353–65.
2. Alaggia, Ramona, Delphine Collin-Vézina, and Rusan Lateef. “Facilitators and Barriers to Child Sexual Abuse (CSA) Disclosures: A Research Update (2000–2016).” Trauma, Violence, & Abuse 20, no. 2 (April 23, 2019): 260–83. https://doi.org/10.1177/1524838017697312.
3. Arksey, Hilary, and Lisa O’Malley. “Scoping Studies: Towards a Methodological Framework.” International Journal of Social Research Methodology 8, no. 1 (February 2005): 19–32. https://doi.org/10.1080/1364557032000119616.
4. Barrera, Mauricio, Liliana Calderón, and Vaughan Bell. “The Cognitive Impact of Sexual Abuse and PTSD in Children: A Neuropsychological Study.” Journal of Child Sexual Abuse 22, no. 6 (August 2013): 625–38. https://doi.org/10.1080/10538712.2013.811141.
5. Cashmore, Judy, and Rita Shackel. “The Long-Term Effects of Child Sexual Abuse,” 2013.