Peer-reviewed article
If we Ask, Will they Tell? (and Then, What?): Screening for Sexual Violence against Children in Kenya
Chi‐Chi Undie, Margaret O. Mak’anyengo ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This study tested whether a screening tool could identify children who have experienced sexual violence in Kenyan schools and health facilities. Researchers screened 497 children aged 11-17 years using a mixed-methods approach combining quantitative screening data and qualitative observations. The screening was feasible and acceptable, with most children willing to participate, nearly half disclosing sexual violence, and most receiving care afterward.
Key points
- 97% of children in school and health facility settings were willing to be screened for sexual violence
- 45% of screened children disclosed a lifetime experience of sexual violence
- 75% of children who disclosed sexual violence received care following their disclosure
- Qualitative findings demonstrated acceptability of the intervention among both children and parents
- The screening approach was feasible to implement in both school and health facility settings
Limitations
The study focuses on feasibility and acceptability in two specific schools and one hospital in Kenya, so findings may not generalise to other regions or settings. The document does not provide information on the long-term outcomes of care provided or the quality of referral pathways.
Abstract
This study assesses the feasibility of using a screening tool to proactively identify child survivors of sexual violence in Kenyan primary school and health facility settings, and to refer such survivors to care. A mixed‐methods design was employed, involving quantitative screening tool data, as well as service data from 497 girls and boys in two primary schools (in standards six to eight) and one hospital site (11–17‐year‐olds) and qualitative data (in the form of field notes) generated during the screening process. Results point to the feasibility of this screening intervention, as evidenced by the proportion of children in the school and health facility sites combined: 97 per cent were willing to be screened for sexual violence, 45 per cent disclosed lifetime sexual violence and 75 per cent received care subsequent to disclosing lifetime experiences of sexual violence. Further, the qualitative results ‘give voice’ to child survivors and their parents, demonstrating the acceptability of, and demand for, the intervention among these populations. Findings from this study suggest that screening for sexual violence against children is feasible in both school and health facility settings. Such screening also holds potential for expanding child survivors' access to care. ‘Assesses the feasibility of using a screening tool to proactively identify child survivors of sexual violence in Kenyan primary school and health facility settings’ Key Practitioner Messages Screening is a feasible means of proactively identifying child survivors of sexual violence. Sexual violence screening can help expand child survivors' access to care. Sexual violence screening can be adapted for implementation in various contexts or sectors, and with various categories of children.
Findings the Hub has extracted
Each claim below is labelled by its type of design and links back to this report.
- Intervention
- Implementation of a screening tool in primary schools and a health facility to proactively identify children who have experienced sexual violence and refer them to care services
- Population
- 497 children (girls and boys) aged 11-17 years in two primary schools (standards six to eight) and one hospital site in Kenya
Key finding
97% of children were willing to be screened for sexual violence