Magnitude of Childhood Sexual Violence (Sv) in Refugee Settlements among Females and Males Ages 13-24 Years in Uganda: Implications for Programming

Peter Kisaakye, Makerere University
Gloria Seruwagi, Population Council
Francis Obare, Population Council
Stella Muthuri, Population Council
Caroline W. Kabiru, African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC)
Yohannes Dibaba Wado, African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC)
Chi-Chi Undie, Population Council

Globally, a significant number of girls and boys experience sexual violence (SV) annually, particularly in refugee settings, yet rigorous estimates for children in humanitarian contexts are lacking. Utilizing data from this first-ever Humanitarian Violence Against Children and Youth cross-sectional survey, we investigated lifetime exposure to SV among 13-17-year-olds and among 18-24-year-olds (prior to age 18 years). Of the 2,265 respondents enrolled, 19.4% of females and 9.5% of males aged 18-24 years experienced SV in childhood. Among 13-17-year-olds, experience of SV was higher among males (10.3%) than females (8.6%). SV incidents were more likely to occur in the evening, with the majority reporting their first incident after arriving in refugee settlements (73.3% females and 53.2 % males). To prioritize the safety and wellbeing of children in humanitarian settings, these findings emphasize the urgency of targeted awareness campaigns and gender-sensitive interventions to address SV risks in humanitarian settings.