Incidences of Child Abuse in Four Woredas in Addis Ababa

Abstract

The study of the incidence of child abuse in four woreda police
stations in Addis Ababa where child protection units are established revealed
that the most prevailing forms of child abuse are beating (61.9%), bodily injury
(6.9%) and theft (6.3%). The least prevailing form is attempted rape (0.2%),
murder (0.5%) and abandonment ( 2.6%). The other forms which are prevalent
in the four woredas are attempted murder (4.3%), verbal threat or intimic{ation
(3.7%), and robbery (2.9%). The average age of the victims was found to be
15 years and the average age of the abusers 22 years. Efforts to minimise child.
abuse require social policy support to improve the living conditions of the
society and the revision of the existing legislation concerning child welfare and
development.