Childhood sexual abuse among female university students in Rwanda
2012-01-01 00:00:00
The results revealed that the prevalence of childhood sexual abuse was 13.5% among female university students. 68% of the victims were 15 or younger than 15years.The most commonly reported perpetrators (56%) in this study were known persons to the victims, including family members. Unknown perpetrators were 44%.The study revealed that 36% of rape took place to the victim’s home and 40% to the perpetrator’s home. Collective rape was reported in 20%. Pregnancy related to rape was reported in 12%. Clinical symptoms were also reported. Psychological effects were most prominent including fear of intimacy after aggression, loss of trust in men, and loss of self esteem. This first reported school-based study showed that sexual abuse is not a rare finding in Rwanda.