CHILD ABUSE

Describe child abuse
 According to the Zambian law, a child is any person who is sixteen years or below.
 Child abuse is any form of ill treatment of a child. This ill-treatment could be either physical or mental.
 Physical abuse could be battery, canning, slapping, and pinching of the skin, pulling ears, burning of
the skin, biting the child or any action that can cause physical impairment of the child.
 Mental abuse could be lack of love, neglect, insults, shouting at the child, name-calling or ridicule.
Child sexual abuse and sexual assault

 Child Sexual abuse is any sexual act imposed on a child or young person by close relative, it
includes fondling a child‟s genitals, making the child fondle the adult‟s genitals, intercourse, incest,
rape, sodomy, exhibitionism and sexual exploitation..
 Child Sexual assault is any sexual act imposed on a child by a stranger.
Explain different forms of child abuse
Child defilement
 Defilement is the act of having unlawful sexual intercourse with a girl under the age of 16 years with or
without her consent.
 Defilement is a crime and it should be reported immediately.
 The penalty for defilement is 14 years imprisonment with hard labour. Attempting or trying to have sex
with someone under the age of 16 years can earn a person fourteen years imprisonment. Therefore,
people who marry girls under the age of sixteen should be prosecuted for defilement.
Child battering
 Child battering is a form of child abuse where someone beats a child often.
 Most people beat up children as a form of punishment. This, however, is discouraged.
 It is better to discuss issues with children rather than resorting to beating when they do something
wrong.
 Child neglect
 Child neglect is a situation where children are not taken care of by their parents or guardians.
 Children are not given the love and care that they need for personal development.
 Sometimes, babies are abandoned. Some children are expected to fend for themselves.
 Other forms of child neglect include children fending for the family, lack of parental guidance, parents
being pre-occupied with their careers and creating wealth for the family at the expense of taking care of
their children.
Child labour
 Child labour refers to work that is mentally, physically, socially or morally dangerous and harmful to
children.
 This work normally interferes with the children‟s opportunity to attend school, their overall
development and recreation.
 For instance, children are expected to combine school work with heavy work. Sometimes children leave
school prematurely to work.
 However, it is worth noting that children need to work for their own personal development as well as
that of their family by doing household chores. This is a form of training for life.
Child trafficking
 This is the illegal transportation and selling of children within or outside a country for prostitution,
pornography, forced labour, crime or business involving selling of sexual private parts.
 The effects on the victim may be classified under the headings of physical, mental and sexual. Physical
effects include injury or physical harm.

 Mental effects include depression, anxiety, suicide and sexual effects may include unwanted
pregnancies, Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs).
Child prostitution
 Child prostitution can be described as sexual exploitation of children. Child prostitution can either be
forced or voluntary.
 Forced child prostitution is a situation where girls are compelled to sell sexual services in brothels.
 Voluntary child prostitution is a situation where girls sell sexual services in order to pay for their school
fees, drugs or to meet their daily needs.
Discuss ways of addressing child abuse
Ways of Addressing Child Abuse
Child abuse is a serious problem that needs concerted effort in order to alleviate it. It affects the whole
society. The following are some of the ways by which child abuse can be addressed:
 Legislation on child labour:-This should include the legal definition of the minimum age below which
children should not be engaged in particular types of work. It should prescribe penalties for practising,
and encouraging all forms of child labour. According to the Zambian Labour Law, the minimum age for
employment is 16 years.
 Enacting stiff punishment for child defilers including those who batter or neglect their children.
 Sensitising the community about child abuse.
 Reporting cases of child abuse.
 Speaking out about the problem of child abuse.
 Encouraging victims to go to the Victim Support Unit, Drop in Centres and NGOs for counselling
services and legal advice.
Describe sexual harassment
Sexual Harassment
 Sexual harassment is when someone keeps on saying things or doing things of a sexual kind, like
touching you or making sexual remarks, and he does this even though he knows you do not want it.
 It also includes a promise of a job, promotion, training and any favours in return for sexual favours.
These promises may be spoken or strongly hinted.
 Sexual harassment also includes hints or threats that things will not go well for you if you refuse
sexual demands.
 Sexual harassment is not only when a person demands that you go out with him or sleep with him
but also when men think they have a right to touch a woman or speak to her in a way the woman
does not want.
Discuss ways of protection against sexual harassment and rape.

Protection against Sexual Harassment
 Make it clear you do not want that kind of behaviour from the person as a result, she or he has no
excuse that you encouraged him or her to think that you approved his or her conduct.
 If he or she does not stop harassing you, keep a record of the incidents in a small note-book. Write them
down and ask a friend to witness them. This way your friend will support you.
 Discuss the problem openly and you will probably find others who have been suffering the same
problem. In that way, you can make the problem known, which may stop the harasser.
 Try to make your home as secure as possible.
 Do not let anyone into your home if you feel in any way doubtful or suspicious.
 Try to avoid situations that make you feel uncomfortable or unsafe, even if you can see no real reason
for your feelings.
 Try to get help from the police immediately if you know or suspect that you are in danger.
 Try to get help from someone nearby, but stay alert and use your judgment. Otherwise you may escape
from your attacker only to find that the person you appealed to for help takes advantage of your
vulnerability.
 If you are walking and a car follows you or stops beside you, stay as far away from the car as possible
and keep walking even if you are helping the driver by giving him direction.
 Hitch- hiking is risky especially for girls and women. If you have to take a lift, trust your judgment
about the person or people in the car.
 When you travel alone using public transport, try to sit near another woman.
 Remember that most rapes are planned in advance. It is a good idea to vary your behaviour, such as the
route you use and the times you take to fetch water or play with your friends.
 If you learn self-defence skills, remember that you are still vulnerable. Your attacker may have a gun or
a knife, or he may simply be stronger or more skilled in martial arts than you are. Practice your selfdefence skills regularly.
Rape
 Rape is when a man/woman has unlawful sexual intercourse with a woman or girl/man or boy
without her or his consent by using force and or by means of threats or intimidation.
 Rape is legally defined as: Any person who has unlawful carnal knowledge of a woman or girl
without her or with her consent.
Ways of Resisting Rape
One can resist rape in the following ways:
 Attention seeking tactics: shouting, screaming or trying to get someone to help.
 Non-cooperation tactics: for example, refusing to take your clothes off.
 Psychological tactics: for example, reasoning with the rapist, trying to frighten him, disgust him or
gain his sympathy.
 Physical resistance: fighting back or struggling.
**However, it is worth noting that there is no single right way of reacting, when attached by a rapist.
Explain causes of teenage pregnancies
This is attributed to a number of factors:

 Peer pressure – Sometimes boys and girls engage in sexual activities due to peer pressure and would
like to be like others. This, often result in teen pregnancies.
 Personal development – As children grow up, they develop sexual feelings and emotions, which they
do not understand. As a result, they want to fulfil these urges.
 Lack of sex education – Parents should discuss sexual issues with their children.
 Influence from society and the media. For example, the type of socialization, breakdown in morals,
influence of other cultures, modern songs, television and radio programmes.
 Cultural issues – In some societies, girls are married off at a tender age. The traditional preference for
the boy child to go to school rather than the girl child has disadvantaged the girl child. As such girls
tend to be married off early.
 Economic issues – due to high poverty levels some girls tend to engage in sexual activities for
monetary gains. This often results in pregnancies, Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) e.g. HIV and
AIDS, and syphilis.
Explain the effects of teenage pregnancies.
Effects of Teenage Pregnancies
There are several effects of teenage pregnancies on the mother as well as the child:
 The health of the mother is affected because she is not yet mature for reproduction leading anal-vagina
fistulas.
 The mother may not know how to take care of the baby; consequently, the baby may have poor health,
for example, malnutrition.
 The girl may be stigmatized by society and may not bear the shame or may not cope with the emotions.
 The young couple may not cope with the costs involved in bringing up a child and may shift the burden
to parents.
 Chances of the girl getting married are at stake.
 Child dumping.
 Disturbance in the education of the mother.
Identify ways of preventing teenage pregnancies
 abstinence
 avoiding bad company
 setting goals or principles
 discussing with friends
 avoiding alcohol and drugs
 resisting peer pressure
 upholding good moral values
 Being occupied with activities like joining the youth clubs.
Discuss institutions that address social challenges
 Zambia Police Victim Support Unit.
 Young Christian Women‟s Association.
 Young Christian Men‟s Association.
 Legal Aid Clinic for Women
 Other Non-Governmental Organisations