Extensiveness of Children's Self-Protection Training Strategy By Parent-Teacher on Enhancing Curbing of Abuse in Public Primary Schools In Kinondoni Municipality, Tanzania

This study aimed to investigate the extent Children's Self-Protection Training Strategy by Parent-Teacher Enhance Curbing Abuse in Public Primary Schools in Kinondoni Municipality, Tanzania. The Ecological Systems Theory (1979) guided this study. This study employed a convergent research design under a mixed-methods approach. The study targeted 82 primary schools, 1 social welfare officer, 82 heads of schools, 1,766 teachers, 7,570 standard seven pupils, and 328 parents (from the school committee), resulting in a total target population of 9,737. Both probability and non-probability sampling techniques were used to select respondents. The sample included 12 public primary schools, 1 Social Welfare Officer, 12 headteachers, 240 teachers and 98 Standard Seven pupils, and 12 parents, totaling 363 respondents. The study utilized questionnaires, interview guides, and focus group discussion for data collection. Two educational planning and administration experts from Mwenge Catholic University validated the instruments. A pilot study was conducted in two public primary schools in Kinondoni Municipality. The reliability of the Likert-type questionnaires was ensured using Cronbach's Alpha, with values of .866 for teachers. The trustworthiness of the interview guide was ensured through peer debriefing and triangulation. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS version 26, with descriptive statistics (Means, Frequencies, and Percentages) for quantitative data and thematic analysis for qualitative data. The study adhered to ethical considerations throughout the research process. The study found that public primary parent-teacher training in self-protection strategies reduces incidents of child abuse in public primary schools. The study concludes that training children in self-protection strategies reduces incidents of child abuse in primary schools by equipping pupils with essential knowledge and practical skills to recognize and respond to abuse. However, inconsistent implementation, inadequate teacher training on child protection, and inadequate follow-up mechanisms to reinforce the skills learned hinders its extensiveness of the training. The Ministry of Education should integrate self-protection training as a core subject within the curriculum, delivered through participatory methods like role-playing and storytelling.