NCJ Number
246700
Journal
Child Abuse and Neglect Volume: 38 Issue: 2 Dated: February 2014 Pages: 304-316
Date Published
February 2014
Length
13 pages
Annotation
This study determined whether orphans are more likely than non-orphans to experience physical and/or sexual abuse in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), based on a systematic review and meta-analysis of the relevant quantitative research literature.
Abstract
The meta-analysis did not find any significant differences between orphans and non-orphans regarding the likelihood of experiencing physical abuse, sexual abuse or forced first sex. The authors caution, however, that the methodological weaknesses of the studies, including variations in abuse and differences in sample populations examined for sexual abuse, undermine confidence in these findings. There were also gaps in the literature, since very few studies had physical and/or sexual abuse as primary outcomes, and all were cross-sectional. In addition, because much of the research was descriptive, the data did not control for potential confounders and was unable to identify protective and/or risk factors for either physical or sexual abuse. The literature search identified 10 relevant studies, which were all published after 2005. They were conducted in Zimbabwe, South Africa, Kenya, and Uganda. The studies consisted of 17,336 participants (51 percent female and 58 percent non-orphans). Of those classified as orphans (n=7,315), 73 percent were single orphans (1 parent deceased, most often the father), and 27 percent were double orphans (both parents deceased). 4 tables and 73 references