Sexual Violence and Child Poverty: Lived Experiences of Child Sexual Violence Survivors in Nigeria

Abstract

Existing literature has documented strong associations between families’ socio-economic conditions and children’s experiences of child abuse and neglect (CAN), including physical, sexual and emotional abuse. Even though the broader approach to family poverty and child poverty may overlap, they do not always have the same indices, implying that the established relationships between family poverty and CAN cannot be unequivocally applied to child poverty. Specifically, inadequate attention has been given to developing an evidence base for understanding the relationship between CAN and child poverty, especially in Nigeria. Even in developed countries, reports on the extent of child poverty have rarely included information about child abuse. Using the hermeneutic phenomenological approach, this study explored lived experiences of 19 female adolescent survivors of child sexual violence (CSV) (Mage ≈ 16, SD = 0.36) in Nigeria. Data was gathered through interviews and victims’ experiences were aggregated using content analysis. The major findings were summarized under the following themes: (1) linkage of CSV with child poverty outcomes (2) implications of poor services for CSV survivors, (3) alternate resources for provision of CSV services, (4), survivors’ suggestions on CSV reduction and proper intervention. The study recommended a multi-sectorial and multi-stakeholder approach to implementing strategies to curb CSV in Nigeria. Future studies should build on the thematic structures evolved to further investigate the links between CSV and child poverty.