Tshiwandalani Patricia Mafhara

The Effects of Child Sexual Abuse on Scholastic Performance: Effects on Scholastic Performance Tshiwandalani Patricia Mafhara

Child sexual abuse has become disturbingly rampart in schools. This raises the question of how it affects learners. This study sought to look at the effects of sexual abuse on the performance of learners who have had/or who are currently having such experience. The participants were male and female grade 4, 5, 6 & 7 randomly selected learners from three primary schools. The study found that there is a significant relationship between sexual abuse and the learners' scholastic performance, there is gender differences with regard to the effects of sexual abuse on learners and male learners were found to be more affected by sexual abuse than female learners. The Department of Basic Education should ensure that Sex Education Programmes emphasing appropriate and inappropriate touch are effectively taught in schools especially in the early grades. Educators also need skills training on identifying, teaching and supporting sexually abused learners.