Sexual abuse and experience of violence among 13- and 14-year-old Kingston girls - abstract

ABSTRACT

As part of a study on health and nutrition of grade 8 girls in Kingston schools, their experience of violence and sexual harassment was investigated. Nine all-age and new secondary schools serving poor socio-economic areas in Kingston were identified. Four hundred and fifty-two girls were randomly selected from the 1,064 in grade 8, in proportion to the number enrolled in each school. Each girl was given an in-depth private interview by 1 of 5 trained female interviewers using a structured questionnaire. Nineteen girls (4 per cent) had been raped, including 3 girls raped more than once, one of whom was a victim of incest. The offenders were usually casual acquaintances. Sixteen cases were reported to an adult, 6 were reported to the police and 6 seen by a doctor. No girl received counselling. In the past year, twenty-two per cent of the sample had seen violent acts involving the use of a weapon at home, 40 per cent saw these at school and 64 per cent saw them elsewhere. While in Grade 8, 8 per cent were involved in fights at school with a weapon, and 21 per cent without any. Twenty-one per cent were afraid to come to school because of the violence in the community. Thirty-eight per cent had been beaten by an adult at home, and 57 per cent had been beaten at school with an instrument. Sexual abuse is under-reported, and few girls receive medical care or counselling. Also, there is an urgent need for remedial action to reduce the level of violence (AU)