U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government, Department of Justice.

NCJRS Virtual Library

The Virtual Library houses over 235,000 criminal justice resources, including all known OJP works.
Click here to search the NCJRS Virtual Library

Perceptions of Child Sexual AbuseA Qualitative Interview Study with Representatives of the Socio-Legal System in Urban Tanzania

NCJ Number
231429
Journal
Journal of Child Sexual Abuse Volume: 19 Issue: 3 Dated: May-June 2010 Pages: 290-309
Author(s)
Felix Kisanga; Jessie Mbwambo; Norah Hogan; Lennarth Nystrom; Maria Emmelin; Gunilla Lindmark
Date Published
May 2010
Length
20 pages
Annotation
This study examined the experiences of government officials and health professionals in urban Tanzania in their handling of child sexual abuse cases.
Abstract
Through in-depth interviews, this study explored perceptions and experiences of key players handling child sexual offense cases in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The informants included public police investigators, magistrates, legal workers, and social workers working with nongovernmental organizations. The interviews were recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Five themes emerged summarizing factors associated with sexual offenses, including community passivity, legal system weaknesses, legal framework inadequacy, and key players' vulnerabilities. Addressing the identified weaknesses may promote justice, while changes in attitudes and norms are needed for the prevention of sexual offenses to children. Tables, figures, and references (Published Abstract)