Qualitative Study of Child Maltreatment in Cameroon

Child maltreatment sometimes referred to as child abuse and neglect, is a global problem with serious negative life-long consequences. Unfortunately very few studies have been carried on this issue in Cameroon. This study seeks to throw some light on this worrisome social ill focus group discussion. During these discussions children below 18 who have been or currently undergoing maltreatment were guided to talk about the definitions, types, causes, perpetrators and consequences of this worrisome but often hidden social ill. Various forms of malpractices on children such as sexual abuse, neglect, physical and emotional harm were mentioned as some of the ills perpetrated against them by step mothers, uncles, non-relatives and sometimes their parents. Even though the most frequent forms of these abuses varied from one region to another, some of them such as neglect, sexual abuse and physical harm were reported in almost all the regions. Early and forced marriage was declared by some discussants in the northern regions especially among the Moslem community. The reported causes of these ill-treatments are jealousy from childless step mothers, ignorance, false accusation of witchcraft and stealing, polygamy, poverty, consumption of alcohol and substance abuse. The consequences negatively affect all domains of a child’s life and haveresulted to delinquency, retarded development, HIV/AIDS infection, etc. The gravity of the issues discussed calls for further enquiries as well as solutions.