Child sexual abuse in Nigeria is a criminal offence under several sections of chapter 21 of the country's Criminal Code. The legal

age of consent The age of consent is the age at which a person is considered to be legally competent to consent to Human sexual activity, sexual acts. Consequently, an adult who engages in sexual activity with a person younger than the age of consent is un ...

is 18. A 2015 report by the United Nations Children Fund (

UNICEF UNICEF ( ), originally the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund, officially United Nations Children's Fund since 1953, is an agency of the United Nations responsible for providing Humanitarianism, humanitarian and Development a ...

) found that one in four girls and one in ten boys in Nigeria had experienced sexual violence before the age of 18."Release of the findings of the Nigeria Violence Against Children Survey"
UNICEF Nigeria, 10 September 2015. A survey conducted by Positive Action for Treatment Access revealed that over 31.4% of girls reported their first sexual experience was rape or some form of coerced sex. The Centre for Environment, Human Rights and Development reported that 1,200 cases of rape involving girls were documented in 2012 in

Rivers State Rivers is a states of Nigeria, state in the Niger Delta region of southern Nigeria (Old Eastern Region). Formed on 27 May 1967, when it was split from the former Eastern Region, Nigeria, Eastern Region, Rivers State borders include Imo State, Im ...

, located in the southeastern coastal region of Nigeria.Is’haq Modibbo Kawu (23 May 2013)
"Nigeria's troubling epidemic of rapes"
''Vanguard''. According to UNICEF, six out of ten Nigerian children experience some form of emotional, physical, or sexual abuse before turning 18, with half experiencing

physical violence Physical may refer to: *Physical examination In a physical examination, medical examination, clinical examination, or medical checkup, a medical practitioner examines a patient for any possible medical signs or symptoms of a Disease, medical co ...

. Cases of abuse have also been reported in religious contexts, including within Protestant denominations and among some Muslim communities practicing polygamy.

Young girls

Conditions that increase the risk of sexual assault on young girls in Nigeria include environments such as schools and baby factories. The practice of child labour also encourage such assault. Studies conducted in Nigeria have shown that young girls constitute the majority of reported sexual assault victims in hospital settings. A four-year review of sexual assault cases at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) conducted between 2008 and December 2012, found that out of 287 reported cases, 83% of the victims were under the age of 19. A one-year survey conducted at Enugu State University Teaching Hospital between 2012 and 2013 revealed that 70% of sexual assault victims were under the age of 18. The study also revealed that in the majority of cases, the victims were personally acquainted with the perpetrators. Most of the assaults took place in uncompleted buildings or at the residences of either the victim or the perpetrator.

Child labour

One of the traditional means of

socialization In sociology, socialization (also socialisation – see American and British English spelling differences#-ise, -ize (-isation, -ization), spelling differences) is the process of Internalisation (sociology), internalizing the Norm (social), norm ...

for children is through trading. However, the involvement of young girls in street trading has been identified as a factor that increases their vulnerability to sexual harassment. Studies have linked the sexual abuse of young girls in Nigeria to the broader issue of

child labour Child labour is the exploitation of children through any form of work that interferes with their ability to attend regular school, or is mentally, physically, socially and morally harmful. Such exploitation is prohibited by legislation w ...

Baby factories

Religious and communal stigma surrounding surrogacy and adoption has contributed to the emergence and proliferation of so-called baby factories in Nigeria. Many of the female victims in these facilities are adolescents. While a majority of girls in these settings are pregnant upon arrival, reports also indicate that some are abducted or trafficked into the facilities. In some instances, girls are subjected to sexual abuse with the sole intent of procreation.

Poor parenting

Poverty Poverty is a state or condition in which an individual lacks the financial resources and essentials for a basic standard of living. Poverty can have diverse Biophysical environmen ...

and lack of access to financial resources have been identified as contributing factors to child sexual abuse in Nigeria. When parents are unable to adequately provide for or supervise their children, it increases the risk of exploitation and abuse.

Young girls

Child labour

Baby factories

Poor parenting

See also

References

Sources

Further reading