Browsing by Subject "sexual violence"

Now showing 1 - 4 of 4
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    Sexual violence against children in South Africa: A nationally representative cross-sectional study of prevalence and correlates
    (The Lancet Global Health, 2018) Ward, Catherine L; Artz, Lillian; Leoschut, Lezanne; Kassanjee, Reshma; Burton, Patrick
    Background We could identify no nationally representative South African studies of sexual violence against children. Methods A multistage sampling frame, stratified by province, urban/rural and race group, selected households. Within households, children aged 15-17 years were interviewed after obtaining parental consent. The final sample was 5,631 (94.6% participation rate). Findings 9.99% (95%CI 8.65-11.47) of boys and 14.61% (95%CI 12.83-16.56) of girls reported some lifetime sexual victimisation. Physical abuse, emotional abuse, neglect, family violence, and other victimisations, were all strongly associated with sexual victimisation. The following were associated with greater risk of sexual abuse (adjusted OR); school enrolment (OR 2.12; 95%CI 1.29-3.48); urban dwelling (OR 0.59; 95%CI 0.43-0.80); having a flush toilet (OR 1.43; 95%CI 1.04-1.96); having a substance-misusing parent ( OR 2.37; 95%CI 1.67-3.36); being disabled (OR 1.42; 95%CI 1.10-1.82); female but not male caregivers’ poorer knowledge of the child’s whereabouts, friends and activities (OR 1.07; 95%CI 0.75-1.53) and poorer quality of the relationship with the child (OR 1.20; 95%CI 0.55-2.60). Respondents’ own substance misuse (OR 4.72; 95%CI 3.73-5.98) and high-risk sexual behaviour (OR 3.71; 95%CI 2.99-4.61) were the behaviours most frequently associated with sexual abuse, with mental health conditions far less prevalent but nonetheless strongly associated with sexual victimisation (PTSD OR 2.81, 95%CI 1.65-4.78; depression OR 3.43, 95% CI 2.26-5.19; anxiety OR 2.48, 95%CI 1.61-3.81). Interpretation Sexual violence is widespread among both girls and boys, and is associated with serious health problems. Associated factors require multi-sectoral responses to prevent sexual violence or mitigate consequences.
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    Sexual violence and the Criminal Justice System in Ghana: Exploring the issues of victim protection and confidentiality in the court
    (2020) Hutchful, Ebenezer; Omar, Jameelah
    The protection of survivors of sexual violence during court proceedings is as important as the court proceedings themselves, as any mishaps may impact greatly on the well-being and future engagement of these survivors with the criminal justice system. The issue of secondary victimization remains a problem faced by many survivors of sexual violence who try to seek justice for their ordeal. It is against this background that several international, regional and national documents have been enacted with hopes of mitigating the issue of secondary victimizations from the criminal justice system and its actors. The court as an institution within the criminal justice system is established to handle all criminal and civil cases within a defined jurisdiction and as such is charged to handle all cases of sexual violence filed before it. However, the role of the court in protecting victims especially victims of sexual violence is increasingly being questioned. Therefore, the dissertation seeks to explore the issues surrounding the protection of survivors of sexual violence in the Ghanaian court. To adequately explore the issue under consideration, a qualitative research approach was adopted, which entailed on-site observations and interviews. As a case study, the gender court was selected as the site for the research. The findings of the study support a strong argument for an expansive approach from the court and all stakeholders of the criminal justice system, from both structural and legal approaches as well as the need for an attitudinal change to harness the protection of survivors of sexual violence who seek justice for their ordeal. Thus, the findings point to the need for urgent attention to help reduce the risk of secondary victimization in the court.
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    Sexual violence in African military conflicts: the lethal common cenominator
    (2012) Clarke, Yaliwe
    Sumemr School lecture presented by Yaliwe Clarke (African Gender Institute, University of Cape Town). This podcast will be of interest to rights activists and others who want to learn more about sexual violence in African military conflicts.
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    Towards a policy on naming and shaming of sex offenders in Botswana: lessons learnt from South Africa and United States of America
    (2020) Solomon, Kaone; Omar, Jameelah
    Sexual violence is one of the most pressing social and human rights issues facing Botswana today and as a result Batswana have demanded greater justice and punishment for sex offenders. The Government of Botswana have purportedly found the legislative solution for the problem of sexual violence in sex offender registration laws. This dissertation will consider whether sex offender registration laws can be an effective and a progressive solution to the sexual violence crisis in Botswana. This dissertation aims to show that an effective sex offender registration laws are dependent on the creation and maintenance of valid and reliable registers. With underreporting of sex crimes and if crimes are reported, the subsequent withdrawal and low conviction rates the register cannot be effective as sex offenders may never be registered. A comparative study undertaken between the United States of America and South Africa revealed that the register provides minimal benefits while significant resources are required to implement and maintain the registers. The conclusions drawn from this dissertation is that sex offender registers as a standalone intervention is not the most progressive and effective solution to the sexual violence scourge. This is because sex offender registers do not prevent the commission of the offence as the register only come into play once the offence has been committed and the offender is listed in the register. The fight against sexual violence therefore demands more comprehensive strategies and the Government of Botswana should place the prevention of sexual violence at the centre of all strategies, and not at the tail end of a reactive response.