Sexual Violence Against Female and Male Children in the United Republic of Tanzania

Sexual violence against children is a global human rights and public health issue that impacts emotional, behavioral, psychological, and physical health across the lifespan (Jewkes, Sen, & Garcia-Moreno, 2002). Globally, an estimated 150 million girls and 73 million boys under the age of 18 have experienced sexual violence involving physical contact (WHO, 2006). Short-term impacts of sexual violence include physical injury and emotional trauma (Caspi, Gibbons, & Scarupa, 2002) and a range of sexual and reproductive health problems such as unwanted pregnancy, the transmission of HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections (Jewkes, Sen, & Garcia-Moreno, 2002).

Sub-national data on violence against children in Tanzania indicate that sexual violence is a serious concern (McCrann, Lalor, & Katabaro, 2006; WHO, 2005; Williams, McCloskey, & Larsen, 2008). Although these studies have raised awareness about sexual violence in Tanzania, most have been conducted with adults or special populations, and have not focused on children or adolescents, and specifically have not focused on males (Jewkes, Sen, Garcia-Moreno, 2002). As well, extant research often utilizes different definitions and measurements of sexual violence experienced during childhood, making it difficult to generalize the findings or to get an overall picture of violence against children in Tanzania. This lack of national information reduces the ability of stakeholders to make informed policy and programmatic decisions. One way to address this gap is to collect national estimates of violence against children through population-based surveys in order to provide the magnitude and nature of the violence children are experiencing. This information can support efforts to develop effective child-friendly prevention strategies and improve service provision for children who experience violence in Tanzania.

The current paper reviews results from the first nationally-representative data (collected in 2009) on sexual violence against female and male children in Tanzania. A three-stage cluster household survey was used to collect data from 3,739 females and males between the ages of 13-24. This survey was designed to yield separate estimates of experiences of violence prior to age 18 for females and males in the United Republic of Tanzania (mainland Tanzania and Zanzibar combined) as well as females and males living in mainland Tanzania and the archipelago of Zanzibar.

The findings from the survey indicate that violence against children is a serious problem in Tanzania: nearly 3 in 10 females and approximately 1 in 7 males in Tanzania have experienced sexual violence prior to the age of 18. Although the rates of sexual violence are lower for Zanzibar (approximately 6% of females and 9% of males), sexual violence against children is still an issue that requires immediate attention. The results of this survey have significant implications for the design and implementation of Tanzanian specific prevention and response programs to address abuse and violence against children.