Parental Perceptions of Outcomes of Child Sexual Abuse on Children in Early Childhood Education Ages 5-8 in Nairobi City County, Kenya

The topic for this research was Parental perceptions of outcomes of child sexual abuse on children in Early Childhood Education ages 5-8 in Nairobi City County Kenya. The first research question addressed the addressed parent’s perception of outcomes of their child’s sexual abuse ordeal. The second one examined parental perceptions of influence of CSA on early childhood education. The third addressed mitigations regarding child sexual abuse in early childhood education. A social demographic questionnaire and an interview schedule were used to collect significant data from parents/guardians.This study used a descriptive survey design and the sampling technique was purposive. It was located in Nairobi City County. The study site was the Gender Violence Recovery Centre GVRC of the Nairobi Women’s Hospital. The target population comprised of sexually abused children and their parents/guardians. The independent variable for this study was CSA, while the dependent variable was parental perceptions of outcomes of CSA in early childhood education. The total sample size was ninety five (95) respondents. This included forty five children (45) who had experienced CSA and (45) of their parents/guardians. The research instruments were piloted on a randomly selected sample of five (5) sexually abused children aged 5-8 years, their parents/guardians and one key informant at Child line Kenya. Cross validity was determined through peer feedback and content validity through expert opinion. Reliability was established through pilot testing of the instruments to ensure clarity and adequacy of items. The study instruments included interview schedules for children and parents/guardians. The study yielded qualitative data which was analysed thematically guided by study objectives. Further, descriptive statistics were generated using percentages, frequencies and means. Results were presented in tables, figures and texts. Key findings showed that parents perceived CSA as having affected children through loss of precious learning time. There was also a lot of anxiety in children because perpetrators who were out on bail were present in the neighbourhoods. The study recommended protection and strengthening of the family unit, training of stakeholders on CSA prevention and inclusion of age appropriate life skills in school curriculums among others.