Psychosocial Problems and Coping Strategies of Female Sexually Abused Children: Issue for Policy Implication and Empowering the Victims

Binega Haileselassie^1, , Chalachew Wassie¹, Tsegazeab Kahsay¹ and Yohannes Fisseha¹

¹Department of Psychology, College of Social Sciences and Languages, Mekelle, University,Mekelle, Ethiopia

Cite this paper:
Binega Haileselassie, Chalachew Wassie, Tsegazeab Kahsay and Yohannes Fisseha. Psychosocial Problems and Coping Strategies of Female Sexually Abused Children: Issue for Policy Implication and Empowering the Victims. American Journal of Applied Psychology. 2014; 2(4):82-89. doi: 10.12691/ajap-2-4-1

Abstract

The experience of child sexual abuse can leave a host of adverse behavioral, emotional, and psychological consequences. The objective of this study, therefore, is to investigate the major psychosocial problems of sexually abused children and their coping mechanisms in Hamlin Fistula Hospital and Mother Teresa Charity Missionary’s Children’s Home. Qualitative methods namely in-depth interviews, observation, FGD and document analysis were used to collect the required data. The data were presented, organized and analyzed by using thematic analysis. The research finding reveals that, the survivor children are suffering from a whole range of physical, behavioral, social and emotional problems which in turn affect their personal wellbeing and social relations. However, some of the cases have not experienced some of the problems which others faced. As the result indicates incest type of child sexual abuse is the common form of sexual abuse that children face. The research result also shows strategies such as destructive behaviors like smoking, drinking, chewing and using substances; engaging in prostitution, begging, theft; attending religious places, deviating from social interaction and hiding themselves under some issues) were adopted by these sexually abused children to cope up with the sexual abuse and its related problems. Cooperation of different initiatives is imperative to solve the problem of sexually abused children in a sustainable manner. Therefore, the researchers believe that the GOs, NGOs, the community and other actors should integrate and coordinate different activities undertaken in relation to the problem of sexually abused children. It is also believed that community based strategies and empowering the victim children were identified as pillar of halting the problem. Besides, interested researchers could host similar researches with related to the multifaceted problem of abused children.

Keywords:
sexually abused emotional problems behavioral difficulties deviation coping empowerment

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