Curriculum Development Around Parenting Strategies to Prevent and Respond to Child Sexual Abuse in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Program Collaboration Between Families Matter! and Global Dialogues

Abstract

Despite widespread recognition of child sexual abuse as a serious problem in sub-Saharan Africa, few far-reaching programmatic interventions addressing child sexual abuse in this setting are currently available, and those interventions that do exist tend to focus on response rather than prevention. The Families Matter! Program is an evidence-based intervention for parents and caregivers of 9- to 12-year-olds in sub-Saharan African countries which promotes positive parenting practices and effective parent–child communication about sex-related issues. This article describes the enhancement of a new Families Matter! Program session on child sexual abuse, drawing on authentic narratives contributed by young people to the Global Dialogues from Africa youth scriptwriting competitions. Experiences are shared with a view to informing the development of interventions addressing child sexual abuse in sub-Saharan Africa.

Keywords:

• child sexual abuse
• curriculum development
• gender-based violence
• HIV prevention
• parent–child communication
• parenting
• preadolescence
• sexual violence

Additional information

Funding

This research was supported by the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief through the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The findings and conclusions in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official position of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Notes on contributors

Kim S. Miller

Kim S. Miller, PhD, is the senior advisor for youth prevention at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Division of Global HIV/AIDS Prevention. Her current international research and prevention activities focus on pre-risk prevention approaches to sexual risk reduction, understanding and reducing sexual risk among youth, youth development approaches to sexual risk prevention, and the role of the family in the promotion of sexual risk reduction and protection of children.

Kate Winskell

Kate Winskell, PhD, is an associate professor in the Hubert Department of Global Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University. She specializes in communication for social and behavioral change, particularly in relation to HIV, gender, and sexual and reproductive health in sub-Saharan Africa.

Kaitlyn L. Pruitt

Kaitlyn L. Pruitt, MPH, recently graduated from the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University. Her research interests include sexual health, violence prevention, and gender empowerment in global settings, particularly sub-Saharan Africa; she currently works as a consulting research assistant.

Janet Saul

Janet Saul, PhD, is the senior advisor for Gender and HIV in Division of Global HIV/AIDS at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. She leads the Center’s PEPFAR activities at the intersection of HIV, gender issues, and violence against children.