Child sexual abuse (CSA) remains critically underreported across sub-Saharan Africa, often due to cultural taboos, institutional mistrust, and fear of victim-blaming. This study explores the perspectives of Nigerian secondary school Senior Prefects—adolescent leaders often entrusted by their peers— on the barriers to CSA reporting and offers culturally relevant recommendations for encouraging disclosure. Sixteen in-depth interviews were conducted with student leaders (eight males and eight females) from eight public secondary schools in Ibadan, Nigeria. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, anonymized, and thematically analyzed using an inductive approach. Six major themes emerged: barriers to reporting CSA, strategies to encourage disclosure, limitations in CSA knowledge and perception, reasons children should report abuse, trusted individuals for disclosure, and factors informing CSA perceptions. Thematic analysis revealed that fear of stigma and shame, lack of trust in adults, emotional manipulation by perpetrators, strained parent–child relationships, and limited knowledge about CSA inhibit disclosure. Most participants viewed disclosure as essential for justice, healthcare, and prevention of future abuse. Suggestions for improving disclosure included increased public awareness, culturally sensitive education, youth empowerment programs, confidential community-based reporting centers, psychosocial support, and ethical media reforms to enhance CSA reporting. Findings underscore the importance of engaging adolescent leaders as stakeholders in child protection and highlight the need for youth-centered, culturally grounded interventions to dismantle disclosure barriers. The study contributes to the growing call for context-sensitive violence prevention strategies in school settings and reinforces the value of peer perspectives in shaping policy and practice.
Abdul LatiffM.FangL.GohD. A.TanL. J. (2024). A systematic review of factors associated with disclosure of child sexual abuse. Child Abuse & Neglect, 147, Article 106564. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.CHIABU.2023.106564
2.
AdoguP. O. U.AdinmaE. D.OnyiaorahV. I.UbajakaC. F. (2014). Perception, prevalence and predictors of rape among female students in a tertiary institution South East Nigeria. International Journal of Clinical Medicine, 5(14), 819–828. https://doi.org/10.4236/IJCM.2014.514110
3.
AdubaleA. A. (2017). Parenting styles as predicators of anxiety and depression of in-school adolescents in Nigeria. Africa Education Review, 14(3–4), 111–121. https://doi.org/10.1080/18146627.2016.1264864
4.
AhmadM.LahoreT. (2025). Framing child abuse: Analyzing media coverage of CSA in Lahore’s newspapers (2020–2023). Journal of Advanced Research in Social Sciences, 8(1), 100–112. https://doi.org/10.33422/JARSS.V8I1.1331
5.
AlaggiaR.Collin-VézinaD.LateefR. (2019). Facilitators and barriers to Child Sexual Abuse (CSA) disclosures: A research update (2000–2016). Trauma, Violence, & Abuse, 20(2), 260–283. https://doi.org/10.1177/1524838017697312
6.
AllenW. D. (2007). The reporting and underreporting of rape. Southern Economic Journal, 73(3), 623–641.
7.
AmadoB. G.ArceR.HerraizA. (2015). Psychological injury in victims of child sexual abuse: A meta-analytic review. Psychosocial Intervention, 24(1), 49–62. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psi.2015.03.002
8.
BordereT. (2017). Disenfranchisement and ambiguity in the face of loss: The suffocated grief of sexual assault survivors. Family Relations, 66(1), 29–45. https://doi.org/10.1111/fare.12231
BraunV.ClarkeV. (2019). Reflecting on reflexive thematic analysis. Qualitative Research in Sport, Exercise, and Health, 11(4), 589–597. https://doi.org/10.1080/2159676X.2019.1628806
11.
ChimeO. H.OrjiC. J.AnekeT. J.NwokeI. N. (2021). Prevalence, pattern and predictors of child sexual abuse among senior secondary school students in Enugu Metropolis. The Malaysian Journal of Medical Sciences: MJMS, 28(4), 123. https://doi.org/10.21315/MJMS2021.28.4.13
12.
CreswellJ. W.PothC. N. (2018). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five approaches (4th ed.). SAGE Publications, Inc.
13.
DavidN.EzechiO.WapmukA.GbajabiamilaT.OhihoinA.HerbertsonE.OdeyemiK. (2018). Child sexual abuse and disclosure in South Western Nigeria: A community based study. African Health Sciences, 18(2), 199–208. https://doi.org/10.4314/AHS.V18I2.2
14.
EllisK. (2019). Blame and culpability in children’s narratives of child sexual abuse. Child Abuse Review, 28(6), 405–417. https://doi.org/10.1002/car.2590
15.
EsuabanaS. (2017). Perception of parents towards sex education on primary school pupils in Calabar Education Zone of Cross River State, Nigeria. International Journal of Scientific Research in Education, 10(2), 176–190.
HalvorsenJ. E.Tvedt SolbergE.Hjelen StigeS. (2020). “To say it out loud is to kill your own childhood”—An exploration of the first person perspective of barriers to disclosing child sexual abuse. Children and Youth Services Review, 113, Article 104999. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.CHILDYOUTH.2020.104999
IzugbaraC. O. (2008). Home-based sexuality education: Nigerian parents discussing sex with their children. Youth and Society, 39(4), 575–600. https://doi.org/10.1177/0044118X07302061
20.
JuyalD.YadavD.SethuramanG.KumarA.ShendeT.GuptaS.DhawanB. (2017). Sexual abuse in males: An underreported issue. Indian Journal of Sexually Transmitted Diseases, 38(2), 187–188. https://doi.org/10.4103/ijstd.IJSTD_80_16
LemaigreC.TaylorE. P.GittoesC. (2017). Barriers and facilitators to disclosing sexual abuse in childhood and adolescence: A systematic review. Child Abuse and Neglect, 70, 39–52. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2017.05.009
23.
LiD.LiW.ZhuX. (2023). The association between authoritarian parenting style and peer interactions among Chinese children aged 3–6: An analysis of heterogeneity effects. Frontiers in Psychology, 14, Article 1290911. https://doi.org/10.3389/FPSYG.2023.1290911
24.
McElvaneyR.GreeneS.HoganD. (2013). To tell or not to tell? Factors influencing young people’s informal disclosures of child sexual abuse. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 29(5), 928–947. https://doi.org/10.1177/0886260513506281
25.
NdinojuoB.-C. E. (2018). Ethical consideration in the reportage of sexual abuse of children: A review of selected Nigerian newspapers. https://doi.org/10.2991/ICCSR-18.2018.17
26.
NowellL. S.NorrisJ. M.WhiteD. E.MoulesN. J. (2017). Thematic analysis: Striving to meet the trustworthiness criteria. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 16(1), 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1177/1609406917733847
27.
OdinokovaV. A.GrishinaY. V. (2024). Digital media coverage of child sexual abuse: Perspectives of CSA survivors, psychologists, and media representatives. Mir Rossii, 33(4), 136–157. https://doi.org/10.17323/1811-038X-2024-33-4-136-157
28.
OgunleyeC. A.AbaribeC.OmotadeS. J.OgunbunmiO. O. (2024). Knowledge, attitudes and self–efficacy of child sexual abuse prevention among teachers in selected secondary schools in Abeokuta South Local Government, Ogun State. British Journal of Education, Learning and Development Psychology, 7(3), 76–91. https://doi.org/10.52589/BJELDP-VKEKEFN8
29.
OhayiS. R.MbaS. G.EzemeM. S. (2022). An analysis of child sexual abuse seen in a teaching hospital of a developing country. Egyptian Journal of Forensic Sciences, 12(1), 48. https://doi.org/10.1186/S41935-022-00305-2
30.
OlusanyaO.JegedeA. (2022). Existing practices of parent-child communication on sex-related matters among households in Ondo State, Nigeria. European Scientific Journal, ESJ, 18(22), 159–159. https://doi.org/10.19044/ESJ.2022.V18N22P159
31.
OwoyemiS. O.UchenduO. C.OlabumuyiO. O. (2020). Knowledge, attitude and practice of public primary school teachers on primary prevention of child sexual abuse in Southwestern Nigeria. American Journal of Educational Research, 8(8), 536–542. https://doi.org/10.12691/EDUCATION-8-8-4
32.
PapaliaN. L.LuebbersS.OgloffJ. R. P.CutajarM.MullenP. E. (2017). The long-term co-occurrence of psychiatric illness and behavioral problems following child sexual abuse. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 51(6), 604–613. https://doi.org/10.1177/0004867416667232
33.
SanjeeviJ.HoulihanD.BergstromK. A.LangleyM. M.JudkinsJ. (2018). A review of child sexual abuse: Impact, risk, and resilience in the context of culture. Journal of Child Sexual Abuse, 27(6), 622–641. https://doi.org/10.1080/10538712.2018.1486934
34.
SawyerrA.BagleyC. (2017). Child sexual abuse and adolescent and adult adjustment: A review of British and world evidence, with implications for social work, and mental health and school counselling. Advances in Applied Sociology, 7(1), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.4236/aasoci.2017.71001
35.
SchaefferP.LeventhalJ. M.AsnesA. G. (2011). Children’s disclosures of sexual abuse: Learning from direct inquiry. Child Abuse & Neglect, 35, 343–352. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2011.01.014
36.
SigurvinsdottirR.AsgeirsdottirB. B.UllmanS. E.SigfusdottirI. D. (2017). The impact of sexual abuse, family violence/conflict, spirituality, and religion on anger and depressed mood among adolescents. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 36(1–2), NP577–NP597. https://doi.org/10.1177/0886260517734860
37.
UgeseJ. I.IfelunwaO.MgbeanuliC. C.UgwuowoC. N.JosephO. O.MalloS. I.ChukwuemekaW. I. (2024). Parenting style as predictors of psychological well-being of students of Nigerian Defence Academy Staff School Kaduna. Wukari International Studies Journal, 8(2), 55–64.
38.
UNICEF. (2014). Nigeria violence against children survey.
39.
Vaillancourt-MorelM.-P.GodboutN.SabourinS.BriereJ.LussierY.RuntzM. (2016). Adult sexual outcomes of child sexual abuse vary according to relationship status. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 42(2), 341–356. https://doi.org/10.1111/jmft.12154
40.
van den BulkB. G.SomervilleL. H.van HoofM. J.van LangN. D. J.van der WeeN. J. A.CroneE. A.VermeirenR. R. J. M. (2016). Amygdala habituation to emotional faces in adolescents with internalizing disorders, adolescents with childhood sexual abuse related PTSD and healthy adolescents. Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience, 21, 15–25. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dcn.2016.08.002
