An Evaluation of Factors Predicting the Resilience of Child Sexual Abuse Survivors in Rural and Urban Zimbabwe

Abstract

Child sexual abuse (CSA) has severe psychological, social, and developmental consequences, yet resilience—the ability to adapt positively despite adversity—offers a pathway for recovery. This study evaluates predictors of resilience among CSA survivors in rural and urban Zimbabwe and assesses the impact of a structured resilience-building program on individual, social, institutional, and community factors over 5 years. A longitudinal quasi-experimental design was used, tracking 1,573 CSA survivors aged 12–19 at enrolment and 1,021 at post-test. Linear Mixed-Effects Modelling (LMM) was applied to account for individual variability and non-randomized group differences. Resilience scores significantly improved from M = 3.0 (baseline) to M = 4.5 (post-test), β = 12.45, p