title: Childhood sexual violence in Zimbabwe: evidence for the epidemic against girls.
abstract: Sexual abuse during childhood is a public health and human rights concern throughout the world, including Sub-Saharan Africa. In 2011, Zimbabwe initiated national prevalence data collection on violence against children to inform government policy and programs. We interviewed 567 females and 589 males, aged 18-24 years following standardized and previously tested survey methods from the region. Of females 32.5%, and of males 8.9%, reported experiencing sexual violence before age 18. Most female (62.7%) and male (47.9%) victims of sexual violence experienced more than one incident of sexual violence prior to age 18 years. Three in four females (77.7%) and one in four males (26.7%) of those who experienced sexual violence reported that the first incident was perpetrated by a boyfriend or girlfriend. Few victims received professional help (2.7% of females and 2.4% of males who had reported experiencing sexual violence). Violence against girls is at epidemic levels in Zimbabwe. Most sexual violence against girls occurs within the context of peer relationships. Child victims who seek potentially life-saving support tend not to receive it. This study is evidence of a national public health and child rights emergency in the country and a case for increased, longer-term investment by the government and its development partners in policy reform for enhancing adolescent girls' empowerment and protection.
authors.affiliation: United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) Indonesia, Wisma Metropolitan II, 11th Floor, Jl. Jend. SudirmanKav. 31, Jakarta 12920, Indonesia.
authors.forename: Lauren
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Rumble
authors.affiliation: Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency (ZIMSTAT), 20th Floor, Kaguvi Building, Cnr 4th Central Avenue, Harare, Zimbabwe.
authors.forename: Taizivei
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mungate
authors.affiliation: Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency (ZIMSTAT), 20th Floor, Kaguvi Building, Cnr 4th Central Avenue, Harare, Zimbabwe.
authors.forename: Handrick
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chigiji
authors.affiliation: United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), Ethiopia, P.O. Box 1169, Africa Hall, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Salama
authors.affiliation: United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) Sudan, UNICEF Totto Chan Compound, P.O. Box 45, Juba, South Sudan.
authors.forename: Anthony
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nolan
authors.affiliation: UNICEF Mozambique, 1440 Zimbabwe Avenue, Maputo, Mozambique.
authors.forename: Elayn
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sammon
authors.affiliation: Child Protection Specialist, UNICEF Zimbabwe, 6 Fairbridge Avenue, Belgravia, Zimbabwe.
authors.forename: Leon
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Muwoni
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002650:Child Abuse, Sexual / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D054540:Child, Orphaned / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005195:Family Relations; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012742:Sex Offenses / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D055815:Young Adult; D015030:Zimbabwe / Q000453:epidemiology
keywords: Adolescent girls; Children; Sexual violence