Abstract:
The main purpose of this study was to deal with child sexual abuse among adolescents and its effect in their school performance in Trans-Mara West location in Narok West Sub- County. The study objectives were: find out causes of child abuse, to find out the effects of child abuse in future lives and measures taken in place to overcome child abuse. The study adopts stratified random sampling. This explains the target population that form part of the study and how the sample is selected, data collected and analyzed. A sample of 10% of the total population was obtained for the study and 50 respondents were interviewed. Stratified random sampling was used to select the sample that represented the whole population. Questionnaires were used during data collection from respondents. The presentation of the study findings were in form of tables, bar graphs and figures where necessary. From the summary of the findings, the study found that, 10-20 year age bracket were the majority of the people in the area who constitutes (26) 52%. also 22) 44% of respondents indicated as the majority that drugs and alcohol is the major cause of child abuse. Again Majority of the respondents (41) 82% Agreed that the child's future life will be destroyed due to child abuse. In addition, Majority of the respondents (40) 80% Agreed that the child will be infected with deadly diseases like AIDS, STD'S incase of defilement or rape. The study concluded that the causes of child abuse include; poverty, lack of education (illiteracy and drugs and alcohol. Numerous severe effects result from the practice of child abuse which includes failure of the child to continue with education, destruction of child’s future and contraction of STIS, HIV and AIDs. It is a vice that needs to be eradicated with all means possible and according to the respondents the majority suggested some of the ways to overcome child abuse which include appropriate reporting to the relevant people, educating the child up to the required level of education for him/her to know his/her rights, From the study findings and conclusions, the study recommends that in order to trickle this challenging phenomenon, a joint effort to formulate and implement policies and strategies is needed. Also the use of mass media to increase the awareness should be encouraged so that the whole community is informed about the consequences of child abuse to children themselves, their family and on the community as whole.
