What I Thought I Knew: Parental Involvement in the Sexuality Education of Their Children and Its Role on Sexual Abuse

Abstract

Sexuality education has been identified as important in the fight against child sexual abuse. Children’s knowledge about sexuality determines their ability to identify sexual behaviors that could expose them to sexual abuse. This study was conducted to understand the role of parents in preventing the sexual abuse of their children through sexuality education. A qualitative approach was used to collect data from 19 sexually abused children and 20 parents of victims of child sexual abuse in selected towns in the Ga Community in Ghana via semi-structured interviews. The findings showed that most parents were unable to provide sexuality education to their children due to social taboos and beliefs about sexuality education. The few parents who attempted teaching their children about sexuality used a deterrent approach which yielded negative outcomes. These factors pushed children to depend on their peers and the media for information on sexuality which led to their sexual abuse. The study demonstrates the need for cultural appropriate interventions in engaging parents in sexuality education in preventing children from sexual abuse.