• Parents urged to be vigilant and not allow strangers near their children
Image: FREEIMAGES.COM
Child sexual abuse is a form of child abuse in which an adult or older adolescent uses a child for sexual stimulation.
Forms of child sexual abuse include engaging in sexual activities with a child (whether by asking or pressuring, or by other means), indecent exposure (of the genitals, female nipples, etc.), child grooming, and child sexual exploitation, including using a child to produce child pornography.
The topic is intense and those who have faced sexual abuse while young say they bear the trauma until adulthood. In most cases, the abusers are one's friends, partners, family members and community members.
Celebrities who have opened up say they were abused by close members of the family.
King Kaka's wife Nana recently opened up about the trauma she has carried for the rest of her life after a relative molested her when she was nine years.
Speaking on her YouTube channel, Nana said her mother trusted him but ended up taking away her innocence.
"The first day this man at night touched me inappropriately and I knew it was wrong, so I told him to stop."
The man asked her to touch him also. "I refused and he warned me not to tell my mum."
Speaking to Sasa Digital, Sylvia Raywe, consultant clinical psychologist at Aga Khan Drs Plaza, said parents can protect their children from sexual abuse by being present.
"This means being aware of the day to day of your child’s life. Knowing how your child generally spends his or her day, with whom and where they spend their day and more importantly, what they do is important."
She added that constant involvement will enable a parent to note changes in a child’s behaviour, his or her concerns with regards to fear or what they are curious about.
"Sexual predators mostly work their way into the child’s circle and their advances might create some changes in the child. If these are noticed early enough, then sexual abuse can be prevented."
Parents also ought to choose who they allow near their children.
"More importantly, tightening the bond between parents and children will encourage open communication," Raywe said.
"Therefore, the parent should deliberately teach their children how to talk about their bodies, boundaries that shouldn’t be crossed with regards to physical touch or verbal insinuations and allowing them to ask questions without the fear of repercussions."
Singer Wahu in an IGTV post said she is still hurt to date, thinking about what her cousin did to her.
"When I was nine, I was sexually molested by my cousin. My mum had left me in his custody. I was nine and he was probably 19 or 20. She just said take care of her and I'll be back. The guy molested me," she said.
The mother of two added that his apology was not genuine and he, in turn, said she also touched him.
"It still hurts, still upsets me when I think about it. My mum was trusting her nephew to take care of her child, she had just gone to pick sukuma wiki and of course, you don't think your nephew could molest your child."
'Auntie Boss' actress Sandra Dacha, alias Silphrosa, at nine years was raped by a stranger who volunteered to take her home when she got lost while hawking groundnuts in Nairobi.
"He carried me in his vehicle to his home and started touching me when we reached his parking lot." She added that the married man went ahead to take advantage of her that night.
his story first appeared on Sasa Digital, accessible on Sundays by dialling *550*3# ...