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Article Title: Psychosocial Effects of Child Sexual Abuse on the Academic Performance of Grade Seven Learners in Gweru Urban, Zimbabwe
by Miriam Mugabe, Shamiso Chingombe and Kudzai Chinyoka

Abstract:
This research examined the psychosocial effects of child sexual abuse on academic performance among grade seven learners in Gweru urban, Zimbabwe with the aim of suggesting sound preventive and protective measures to mitigate the problems of child sexual abuse. There has been documented rise in the cases of child sexual abuse at family, community, district and provincial levels in Zimbabwe. It is estimated that approximately one in three girls and two in seven boys are victims of sexual abuse in Zimbabwe. This research is informed by Bronfenbrenner�s ecological theory. In this study, a qualitative phenomenological case study design was used with in-depth interviews and focus group discussions as data collection instruments to fifteen learners, six Grade seven teachers and one police officer who were purposively sampled from one primary school in Gweru. Findings from this study revealed that child sexual abuse affected the moral, physical, cognitive/intellectual, emotional, social and behavioural development which consequently impacts on academic performance. Cultural and religious practices, poverty and HIV/AIDS were also noted to exacerbate the problems of child sexual abuse among learners. This research recommended that there is need for the government to introduce strict laws on the perpetrators of child sexual abuse. Legal expertise should also be sought and hence the need to report all sexual abuse cases to the police. There is also need to educate communities and conscientise them on the dangers of child sexual abuse on the academic performance of learners.

Keywords: child, sexual abuse, psychosocial, academic performance

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