Policing child abuse in Kenya—Perspectives from the frontline

Abstract

Abstract Child abuse in Kenya continues to present a prominent and ongoing concern. Complicated by challenges of cultural rationalization, leading to an unclear understanding of its prevalence and typologies. This study produces insights from interviews with 20 police child protection officers in Kenya to gain previously unexplored police practitioner perspectives on the typologies and underlying causes of child abuse. Notably types of child abuse identified included intra-familial sexual abuse, exploitation, and female genital mutilation (FGM) and escalating online child abuse. Identifiable causes encompassed poverty, cultural practices, and ineffectiveness and corruption within the criminal justice system—the same areas where we are not seeing enough change. Recommendations arising as a result of the study include the necessity for intensified focus and prioritization of child abuse within Kenyan policing and wider government strategies, NGO programs that aim to alleviate poverty through life-based necessities, increased cultural sensitization, and tackling corruption.