Patterns of sexual violence against adults and children during the COVID-19 pandemic in Kenya: a prospective cross-sectional study

Sarah Rockowitz; Laura M Stevens; James C Rockey; Lisa L Smith; Jessica Ritchie; Melissa F Colloff; Wangu Kanja; Jessica Cotton; Dorothy Njoroge; Catherine Kamau; Heather D Flowe

doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2021-048636

Patterns of sexual violence against adults and children during the COVID-19 pandemic in Kenya: a prospective cross-sectional study

Sarah Rockowitz, Laura M Stevens, James C Rockey, Lisa L Smith, Jessica Ritchie, Melissa F Colloff, Wangu Kanja, Jessica Cotton, Dorothy Njoroge, Catherine Kamau, Heather D Flowe

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

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Abstract

Objectives This study examined patterns of sexual violence against adults and children in Kenya during the COVID-19 pandemic to inform sexual violence prevention, protection, and response efforts. Design A prospective cross-sectional research design was used with data collected from March to August 2020. Setting Kenya. Participants 317 adults, 224 children. Main measures Perpetrator and survivor demographic data, characteristics of the assault. Results Bivariate analyses found that children were more likely than adults to be attacked during daytime (59% vs 44%, p<0.001) by a single perpetrator rather than multiple perpetrators (31% vs 13%, p<0.001) in a private as opposed to a public location (66% vs 45%, p<0.001) and by someone known to the child (76% vs 58%, p<0.001). Children were violated most often by neighbours (29%) and family members (20%), whereas adults were equally likely to be attacked by strangers (41%) and persons known to them (59%). These variables were entered as predictors into a logistic regression model that significantly predicted the age group of the survivor, χ 2 (5, n=541)=53.3, p<0.001. Conclusions Patterns of sexual violence against adult and child survivors during the COVID-19 pandemic are different, suggesting age-related measures are needed in national emergency plans to adequately address sexual violence during the pandemic and for future humanitarian crises.

Original language	English
Article number	e048636
Number of pages	8
Journal	British Medical Journal Open
Volume	11
Issue number	9
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2021-048636
Publication status	Published - 6 Sept 2021

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
Funding This research was funded by ESRC Grant ES/T010207/1 (to HDF, MFC, JCR and the Wangu Kanja Foundation) and AHRC Grant AH/T008091/1 (to HDF and the Wangu Kanja Foundation), the Institute for Global Innovation, University of Birmingham (to HDF and the Wangu Kanja Foundation), and a research grant from the Ring for Peace Foundation (to LLS).

Publisher Copyright:
© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2021. Re-use permitted under CC BY. Published by BMJ.

Keywords

COVID-19
child protection
public health

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Medicine(all)

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Access to Document

10.1136/bmjopen-2021-048636Licence: Creative Commons: Attribution (CC BY)

RockowitzS2021PatternsFinal published version, 312 KBLicence: Creative Commons: Attribution (CC BY)

1 Finished
1 Active

Time for Rights/Rights for Time: Responding to the times of violence, conflict, and displacement
Stonebridge, L., Flowe, H., Phillimore, J. & Warwick, B.
Arts and Humanities Research Council
1/04/20 → 31/03/24
Project: Research Councils
The CARE Project: Building Sexual Violence Survivors' Capacity to Evidence and Research (C)rimes and (A)dvocate for Effective (Re)sponses
Flowe, H. & Colloff, M.
Economic & Social Research Council
1/11/19 → 31/03/21
Project: Research Councils

Cite this

Rockowitz, S., Stevens, L. M., Rockey, J. C., Smith, L. L., Ritchie, J., Colloff, M. F., Kanja, W., Cotton, J., Njoroge, D., Kamau, C., & Flowe, H. D. (2021). Patterns of sexual violence against adults and children during the COVID-19 pandemic in Kenya: a prospective cross-sectional study. British Medical Journal Open, 11(9), [e048636]. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2021-048636

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abstract = "Objectives This study examined patterns of sexual violence against adults and children in Kenya during the COVID-19 pandemic to inform sexual violence prevention, protection, and response efforts. Design A prospective cross-sectional research design was used with data collected from March to August 2020. Setting Kenya. Participants 317 adults, 224 children. Main measures Perpetrator and survivor demographic data, characteristics of the assault. Results Bivariate analyses found that children were more likely than adults to be attacked during daytime (59% vs 44%, p<0.001) by a single perpetrator rather than multiple perpetrators (31% vs 13%, p<0.001) in a private as opposed to a public location (66% vs 45%, p<0.001) and by someone known to the child (76% vs 58%, p<0.001). Children were violated most often by neighbours (29%) and family members (20%), whereas adults were equally likely to be attacked by strangers (41%) and persons known to them (59%). These variables were entered as predictors into a logistic regression model that significantly predicted the age group of the survivor, χ 2 (5, n=541)=53.3, p<0.001. Conclusions Patterns of sexual violence against adult and child survivors during the COVID-19 pandemic are different, suggesting age-related measures are needed in national emergency plans to adequately address sexual violence during the pandemic and for future humanitarian crises.",

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AU - Ritchie, Jessica

AU - Colloff, Melissa F

AU - Kanja, Wangu

AU - Cotton, Jessica

AU - Njoroge, Dorothy

AU - Kamau, Catherine

AU - Flowe, Heather D

N1 - Funding Information: Funding This research was funded by ESRC Grant ES/T010207/1 (to HDF, MFC, JCR and the Wangu Kanja Foundation) and AHRC Grant AH/T008091/1 (to HDF and the Wangu Kanja Foundation), the Institute for Global Innovation, University of Birmingham (to HDF and the Wangu Kanja Foundation), and a research grant from the Ring for Peace Foundation (to LLS). Publisher Copyright: © Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2021. Re-use permitted under CC BY. Published by BMJ.

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N2 - Objectives This study examined patterns of sexual violence against adults and children in Kenya during the COVID-19 pandemic to inform sexual violence prevention, protection, and response efforts. Design A prospective cross-sectional research design was used with data collected from March to August 2020. Setting Kenya. Participants 317 adults, 224 children. Main measures Perpetrator and survivor demographic data, characteristics of the assault. Results Bivariate analyses found that children were more likely than adults to be attacked during daytime (59% vs 44%, p<0.001) by a single perpetrator rather than multiple perpetrators (31% vs 13%, p<0.001) in a private as opposed to a public location (66% vs 45%, p<0.001) and by someone known to the child (76% vs 58%, p<0.001). Children were violated most often by neighbours (29%) and family members (20%), whereas adults were equally likely to be attacked by strangers (41%) and persons known to them (59%). These variables were entered as predictors into a logistic regression model that significantly predicted the age group of the survivor, χ 2 (5, n=541)=53.3, p<0.001. Conclusions Patterns of sexual violence against adult and child survivors during the COVID-19 pandemic are different, suggesting age-related measures are needed in national emergency plans to adequately address sexual violence during the pandemic and for future humanitarian crises.

AB - Objectives This study examined patterns of sexual violence against adults and children in Kenya during the COVID-19 pandemic to inform sexual violence prevention, protection, and response efforts. Design A prospective cross-sectional research design was used with data collected from March to August 2020. Setting Kenya. Participants 317 adults, 224 children. Main measures Perpetrator and survivor demographic data, characteristics of the assault. Results Bivariate analyses found that children were more likely than adults to be attacked during daytime (59% vs 44%, p<0.001) by a single perpetrator rather than multiple perpetrators (31% vs 13%, p<0.001) in a private as opposed to a public location (66% vs 45%, p<0.001) and by someone known to the child (76% vs 58%, p<0.001). Children were violated most often by neighbours (29%) and family members (20%), whereas adults were equally likely to be attacked by strangers (41%) and persons known to them (59%). These variables were entered as predictors into a logistic regression model that significantly predicted the age group of the survivor, χ 2 (5, n=541)=53.3, p<0.001. Conclusions Patterns of sexual violence against adult and child survivors during the COVID-19 pandemic are different, suggesting age-related measures are needed in national emergency plans to adequately address sexual violence during the pandemic and for future humanitarian crises.

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Patterns of sexual violence against adults and children during the COVID-19 pandemic in Kenya: a prospective cross-sectional study

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

UN SDGs

Access to Document

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Projects

Time for Rights/Rights for Time: Responding to the times of violence, conflict, and displacement

The CARE Project: Building Sexual Violence Survivors' Capacity to Evidence and Research (C)rimes and (A)dvocate for Effective (Re)sponses

Cite this