Community-Based Child Protection Systems: Prevalence of Child Abuse in Mukuru Kwa Njenga Informal Settlement in Nairobi, Kenya

Abstract

Child abuse is a global problem. Globally several policies, strategies, and guidelines have been put in place to deal with the situation. One of the methods proposed to deal with violence against children is the implementation of Community Based Child Protection Systems. The performance of Community Based Child Protection Systems has been riddled with various challenges like poor enforcement of the existing laws, the different subsystems of childcare, justice, law, and order working independently of each other. The study aimed at evaluating the forms and extent of child abuse in Mukuru Kwa Njenga. A mixed methods approach was used. A sample size of 280 participants was selected using both purposive sampling and random sampling techniques. The study found that as high as over 80 per cent had witnessed child mistreatment. The main forms of child maltreatment were child labour, exposure to drugs and liquor, child exploitation, children living in the streets, early marriages, teenage pregnancies as well as FGM/C and giving children away to other people. The study also revealed that new ways had been put in place to avoid different child abuse cases being detected and acted on. The study recommends that the government should strengthen existing policies that advocate for appropriate child protection and enhance community participation to improve the effective implementation of CBCPMs. These findings are important to stakeholders involved with children rights, like policy makers, researchers, and students of devolution theories.