Prevalence and Patterns of Child Sexual Abuse in Selected Countries of Asia and Africa: A Review of Literature

Africa and Asia are among the regions with the highest rates of child sexual abuse (CSA) in the world. They also share the highest proportion of children under 18 with Asia alone accounting for 24% of children under 14 years of age and about 41% of the African population are under the age of 15. Despite the magnitude of the problem, few studies have investigated CSA in these regions hence limiting appropriate and timely response. Objectives: To describe the prevalence and patterns of child sexual abuse in Africa and Asia. Methods: This was a literature review study. Electronic database search was performed to select relevant materials on CSA published between 2000 and 2018. Electronic search articles were included in the review after screening for inclusion and exclusion criteria. Results: The study showed prevalence of CSA (broadly and narrowly defined) in Africa to be from 2.1% - 68.7% for females in Tanzania and Ethiopia and 4.1% - 60% for males in South Africa. The prevalence in Asia ranges from 3.3% - 42.7% for females in China and India respectively and 4.3% - 58% for males in Hong Kong and Sri Lanka. The rates for contact CSA among females in Asia are from 1.9% - 59.2% in China and India and 1.8% - 9.1% for males in China while for non-contact abuse ranges from 1.8% - 28.7% for females in China and India and 3.1% - 29.4% for males in China. The findings in both regions suggest high risk of victimization in pre-pubertal and late adolescent, however, pre-pubertal victimization is much higher in Africa. Victim’s home and public area found to be high risk places for abuse in both regions. Relatives comprise common perpetrators in Asia while friends were most cited in Africa. Conclusions: The results highlight high rate of CSA in Africa and Asia calling for comprehensive approach for its prevention. Future research should focus more on population-based studies and using comparable methodology.