TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2021//
TI  - Patterns of sexual violence against adults and children during the COVID-19 pandemic in Kenya: a prospective cross-sectional study
JO  - BMJ open
A1  - Rockowitz, Sarah
A1  - Stevens, Laura M.
A1  - Rockey, James C.
A1  - Smith, Lisa L.
A1  - Ritchie, Jessica
A1  - Colloff, Melissa F.
A1  - Kanja, Wangu
A1  - Cotton, Jessica
A1  - Njoroge, Dorothy
A1  - Kamau, Catherine
A1  - Flowe, Heather D.
SP  - e048636
EP  - e048636
VL  - 11
IS  - 9
N2  - OBJECTIVES: This study examined patterns of sexual violence against adults and children in Kenya during the COVID-19 pandemic to inform sexual violence prevention, protection, and response efforts. <br><br>DESIGN: A prospective cross-sectional research design was used with data collected from March to August 2020. SETTING: Kenya. PARTICIPANTS: 317 adults, 224 children. MAIN MEASURES: Perpetrator and survivor demographic data, characteristics of the assault. <br><br>RESULTS: Bivariate analyses found that children were more likely than adults to be attacked during daytime (59% vs 44%, p<0.001) by a single perpetrator rather than multiple perpetrators (31% vs 13%, p<0.001) in a private as opposed to a public location (66% vs 45%, p<0.001) and by someone known to the child (76% vs 58%, p<0.001). Children were violated most often by neighbours (29%) and family members (20%), whereas adults were equally likely to be attacked by strangers (41%) and persons known to them (59%). These variables were entered as predictors into a logistic regression model that significantly predicted the age group of the survivor, χ(2)(5, n=541)=53.3, p<0.001. <br><br>CONCLUSIONS: Patterns of sexual violence against adult and child survivors during the COVID-19 pandemic are different, suggesting age-related measures are needed in national emergency plans to adequately address sexual violence during the pandemic and for future humanitarian crises.<p />  <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 2044-6055
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2021-048636
ID  - ref1
ER  -