Child sexual abuse Warning: You are not logged in. Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits. If you log in or create an account, your edits will be attributed to your username, along with other benefits.Anti-spam check. Do not fill this in! ===Africa=== {{Further|Virgin cleansing myth}} {{See also|Sexual violence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo|Sexual violence in South Africa|Child marriage}} A ten-country school-based study in southern Africa in 2007 found 19.6% of female students and 21.1% of male students aged 11β16 years reported they had experienced forced or coerced sex. Rates among 16-year-olds were 28.8% in females and 25.4% in males. Comparing the same schools in eight countries between 2003 and 2007, age-standardised on the 2007 Botswana male sample, there was no significant decrease between 2003 and 2007 among females in any country and inconsistent changes among males.<ref>{{cite journal |doi=10.1136/bmjopen-2011-000754 |title=Prevalence and risk factors for forced or coerced sex among school-going youth: National cross-sectional studies in 10 southern African countries in 2003 and 2007 |year=2012 |last1=Andersson |first1=N. |last2=Paredes-SolΓs |first2=S. |last3=Milne |first3=D. |last4=Omer |first4=K. |last5=Marokoane |first5=N. |last6=Laetsang |first6=D. |last7=Cockcroft |first7=A. |journal=BMJ Open |volume=2 |issue=2 |pages=e000754 |pmid=22389362 |pmc=3293138}}</ref> The prevalence of child sexual abuse in Africa is compounded by the [[virgin cleansing myth]] that sexual intercourse with a virgin will cure a man of [[HIV]] or [[AIDS]]. The myth is prevalent in [[South Africa]], [[Zimbabwe]],<ref>{{cite news|url=http://articles.cnn.com/2009-06-04/living/cnnheroes.betty.makoni_1_young-girls-raped-youngest-girl|title=Child rape survivors saves 'virgin myth' victims|publisher=cnn.com|access-date=2012-04-05|date=2009-06-04|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120127030305/http://articles.cnn.com/2009-06-04/living/cnnheroes.betty.makoni_1_young-girls-raped-youngest-girl|archive-date=2012-01-27}}</ref> [[Zambia]] and [[Nigeria]] and is being blamed for the high rate of sexual abuse against young children.<ref>''[http://www.aegis.com/news/suntimes/1999/ST990401.html Child Rape: A Taboo within the AIDS Taboo: More and more girls are being raped by men who believe this will 'cleanse' them of the disease, but people don't want to confront the issue] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100405222150/http://www.aegis.com/news/suntimes/1999/ST990401.html |date=April 5, 2010 }},'' by Prega Govender, ''Sunday Times (South Africa),'' April 4, 1999.</ref> In November 2007, [[Thomson Reuters Foundation]] reported that [[Sexual violence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo|child rape is on the rise]] in the war-ravaged eastern [[Democratic Republic of the Congo]].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.alertnet.org/db/blogs/35376/2007/10/21-133107-1.htm|title=Child rape on the rise in eastern Congo |author=Sarah Jacobs |work=AlertNet |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090504202655/http://www.alertnet.org/db/blogs/35376/2007/10/21-133107-1.htm |access-date=23 March 2015|archive-date=2009-05-04 }}</ref> Aid workers blame combatants on all sides, who operate with much impunity, for a culture of [[sexual violence]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7119567.stm|title=BBC NEWS β Africa β DR Congo child rape victim dies|work=bbc.co.uk|access-date=23 March 2015}}</ref> [[South Africa]] has some of the highest incidences of child rape (including the rape of babies) in the world (also see [[sexual violence in South Africa]]).<ref name=time>{{cite news|url=http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1680715,00.html?xid=feed-yahoo-full-world|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090818063455/http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1680715,00.html?xid=feed-yahoo-full-world|archive-date=August 18, 2009|title=Oprah Scandal Rocks South Africa|date=5 November 2007|magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |access-date=23 March 2015}}</ref> A survey by CIET found around 11% of boys and 4% of girls admitted to forcing someone else to have sex with them.<ref name=time/> In a related [[Statistical survey|survey]] conducted among 1,500 schoolchildren, a quarter of all the boys interviewed said that "jackrolling", a term for [[gang rape]], was fun.<ref name=bbc1>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/258446.stm|title=South Africa's rape shock|work=bbc.co.uk|access-date=23 March 2015}}</ref> More than 67,000 cases of rape and sexual assaults against children were reported in 2000 in South Africa, compared to 37,500 in 1998. Child welfare groups believe that the number of unreported incidents could be up to 10 times that number. The largest increase in attacks was against children under seven. The [[virgin cleansing myth]] is especially common in [[South Africa]], which has the highest number of HIV-positive citizens in the world. [[Eastern Cape]] social worker Edith Kriel notes that "child abusers are often relatives of their victims β even their fathers and providers."<ref name="Flanagan">[https://web.archive.org/web/20080612061053/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/southafrica/1362134/South-African-men-rape-babies-as-%27cure%27-for-Aids.html '' South African Men Rape Babies as "Cure" for AIDS,''] Jane Flanagan, ''Daily Telegraph (UK),'' November 11, 2001.</ref> A number of high-profile baby rapes appeared since 2001 (including the fact that they required extensive reconstructive surgery to rebuild urinary, genital, abdominal, or tracheal systems). In 2001, a 9-month-old was raped and likely lost consciousness as the pain was too much to bear.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://abcnews.go.com/WNT/story?id=130199&page=1 |title=Baby rape sparks outrage|publisher=abcnews.com|date=July 30, 2011|access-date=2011-07-12}}</ref> In February 2002, an 8-month-old infant was reportedly gang-raped by four men. One has been charged. The [[infant]] has required extensive reconstructive surgery. The 8-month-old infant's injuries were so extensive, increased attention on prosecution has occurred.<ref name=medscape>{{cite web|url=http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/444213 |title=Child rape in South Africa|website=Medscape|access-date=2010-12-31}}</ref> Summary: Please note that all contributions to Christianpedia may be edited, altered, or removed by other contributors. If you do not want your writing to be edited mercilessly, then do not submit it here. 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