Challenges faced by professionals working in child sexual abuse multi-sectorial forums: A case of the victim-friendly system in Zimbabwe
Date
2018
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Social Work/Maatskaplike Werk,
Abstract
This article explores the challenges faced by social workers, medical doctors, nurses, police,
magistrates, prosecutors, counsellors, teachers and psychologists working in the Victim-Friendly
System (VFS). Studies from several countries show that child sexual abuse (CSA) is indeed an
international problem (Lalor & McElvaney, 2010; Collin-Vezina, Daigneault & Hebert, 2013;
Finkelhor, Stattluck, Turner & Hamby, 2014; Bhaskaran & Seshadri, 2016). Various scholars challenge
the assumption that CSA is an exclusively Western problem (Jones & Jemmott, 2009; Sossou &
Yogtiba, 2009; Zimbabwe National Statistical Agency, United Nations Children’s Fund and
Collaborating Center; Lalor & McElvaney, 2010; Judical Service Commission 2012; Bhattacharya &
Nair 2014 and Jones & Florek, 2015). In Zimbabwe, where this study was done, the National Baseline
Survey on the life experiences of adolescents in Zimbabwe reported that almost one third of females
and one in ten males aged between 18 and 24 years experienced sexual violence (Zimbabwe National
Statistical Agency, United Nations Children’s Fund & Collaborating Center for Operational Research
and Evaluation (2013). It is also estimated that more than 400,000 cases of CSA are reported every year
in Zimbabwe (Médecins Sans Frontières, 2011). Jones and Jemmott (2009), Horner (2010), Lalor and
McElvaney (2010) and Birdhstle, Floyd, Mwanasa, Nyangadza, Gwiza and Glynn (2011) show a
correlation between CSA and many adverse medical, psychological, behavioural and socioeconomic
outcomes, which can be short and long term in nature. CSA negatively affects the child and his/her
ecological environment. Accordingly, the VFS was established to provide a community of medical,
psychological, judicial and social services that mitigate the negative effects of CSA (Judicial Service
Commission, 2012).
Description
item.page.type
Article
item.page.format
Keywords
International Resources, Zimbabwe, social workers, child sexual abuse, advocacy, adverse outcomes
Citation
Muridzo, N., Chikadzi, V., & Kaseke, E. (2018). Challenges faced by professionals working in child sexual abuse multi-sectorial forums: A case of the victim-friendly system in Zimbabwe. Social Work/Maatskaplike Werk, 54(4), 452.