| dc.description.abstract | ABSTRACT:
In Kenya, up to 31.9% of girls have experienced sexual abuse. Reports from Suba
Child Help Line indicate that in 2015 alone, they handled 1,251 cases of child abuse
and of these, 651 (52%) were girl- child sexual abuse cases. Guidance and
Counseling (G&C) services should help individuals make intelligent decisions and
understand themselves so they work towards realizing their potentials. G&C services
have been put in place in schools yet there are still many cases of Girl-Child Sexual
Abuse. Purpose of this study was to examine perceptions on the role of guidance and
counseling on girl child sexual abuse in public primary schools in Suba and Mbita sub
counties, Kenya. Objectives of the study were to; Determine Teachers’ and Pupils’
perceptions on prevalence rates of girl-child sexual abuse in public primary schools of
Suba and Mbita sub counties, Determine the perceived extent to which poverty,
cultural values and family backgrounds play roles on girl-child vulnerability to sexual
abuse and to establish perceptions on Teachers’ participation on Guidance and
Counseling in addressing prevalence rates of girl-child sexual abuse. The study was
based on a conceptual framework showing how G&C may influence vulnerability to
girl-child sexual abuse. G&C was the Independent Variable and Sexual abuse the
Dependent Variable. The Intervening Variables were; Ministry of Education (MoE)
policies, School Management and Girl-Child personality. Descriptive survey design
was used. Study population consisted of 3000 girls in STDs 7 and 8, 88 head teachers
and 88 G&C teachers. Using Krejcie and Morgan formula, a sample of 307 pupils was
used from 9 Primary schools. Purposive sampling of 9 G&C teachers and 9 head
teachers was done from the sampled schools. Reliability coefficient of 0.769 of the
instruments was obtained after a test-retest was done. Data was collected using
questionnaires and interview schedules. Quantitative data was analyzed using
descriptive statistics such as frequencies, percentages and means. Qualitative data was
transcribed and coded into themes and sub themes. The results obtained from the
research reveal that there is a high prevalence of girl child sexual abuse, though the
girl pupils do not perceive it as affecting them; that family backgrounds, poverty and
cultural values contribute to vulnerability. Teachers have used the little time they can
get to provide G&C services to the pupils. Findings of this study may be of
significance to the pupils of Suba and Mbita in revealing further why they are
vulnerable to sexual abuse, to G&C teachers in reassessing their roles and to the
Ministry of Education in formulating policies that may help to strengthen guidance
and counseling and to reduce prevalence rates of girl-child sexual abuse. The
recommendations are that The Ministry of Education should train and post teachers to
deal with G&C as part of the curriculum. Further, time and facilities should be
provided for the provision of G&C services and the G&C teachers given a lighter load
so as to enable them spend quality time with the pupils. | en_US |
