Prevalence and psychological outcomes of child sexual abuse in Nigeria

Abstract

Child Sexual Abuse (CSA) is a global social problem at the forefront of worldwide social policies and practices, having its highest prevalence rate in Africa. However, many studies have produced inconsistent results and conclusions regarding the nature of child sexual abuse prevalence and the associated psychological impacts, especially in Nigeria. This article provides a scoping review of the empirical studies investigating the prevalence and psychological impacts of child sexual abuse. Seven databases were searched, supplemented with a hand search of reference lists from retrieved papers. Results from prevalence studies showed a prevalence of 33.57% in the average population and 0.48 in hospital care patients. The psychological impacts recorded included difficulty experiencing feelings, drug abuse, delinquency, theft, prostitution and dropping out of schools, peer problems, posttraumatic stress disorder, depression, anxiety, suicidal ideation, loss of concentration, confusion, disorientation, nightmares, reduced self-esteem. All the impacts were grouped into four primary dimensions: Psychosocial outcomes (including difficulty experiencing feelings, drug abuse, delinquency, theft, prostitution and, dropping out of schools, peer problems); Psychopathological outcomes (e.g., posttraumatic stress disorder, depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation);  Psycho-emotional outcomes (loss of concentration, confusion, disorientation, nightmares); and Impaired sense of self (e.g., reduced self-esteem).