Father’s Involvement in the Mitigation of Child Sexual Abuse, in Mvita sub-county, Mombasa County

Abstract

Child sexual abuse is a serious public health issue that violates their rights. This study sought to investigate the father’s involvement in the mitigation of child sexual abuse in Mvita Sub-County, Mombasa County. It was guided by the following specific objectives; to examine how fathers' income status influences the mitigation of child sexual abuse, to determine how fathers’ upbringing influences their involvement in the mitigation of child sexual abuse, to assess the extent to which father’s involvement in child upbringing mitigates child sexual abuse and to determine effective preventive strategies for supporting fathers’ involvement in mitigation of child sexual abuse in Mvita Sub -County, Mombasa County. The study was anchored by two theories: Attachment theory by John Bowlby (1958) and Ecological Systems Theory by Urie Bronfenbrenner (1979). A mixed-method research approach with a focus on convergent parallel mixed-method design was adopted. Both quantitative and qualitative data were gathered using semi-structured questionnaires and interview guides, respectively. The target population was 154,166 people while the sample size was 400 respondents. Quantitative data were analyzed using SPSS version 23 while qualitative data were analyzed using thematic content analysis and presented in narrations. The study findings indicated that the majority of the respondents strongly agreed that the father’s income status and involvement are directly linked to their ability to mitigate child sexual abuse. The study found that equal childcare and division of housework, the introduction of community protection programs, and sex education in schools could be effective preventive strategies for fathers in the mitigation of child sexual abuse. Based on the study findings, the researchers concluded that fathers’ involvement in child upbringing could help mitigate child sexual abuse in Mvita-Sub-County, Mombasa, Kenya. Keywords: Father’s involvement, Mitigation, Child sexual abuse, Mvita Sub-County, Mombasa &nbsp