Child Poverty in Mozambique. A Situation and Trend ... - Unicef

Girls at greatest risk of abuse were:
• Over 15 years of age (67.5 per cent of cases);
• Enrolled in lower grades (particularly EP2, with 45.2 per cent of cases);
• Not living with both parents (73 per cent).
The fact that many of the students are over-age for their class level could be a
contributing factor to the level of violence and abuse in schools. At EP1 level, it is not
uncommon to find young children in the same class as children aged 13 or above.
There was little difference between rural and urban locations (49 and 51 per cent
of cases respectively). In 37 per cent of cases the perpetrator of the abuse was a
teacher. The majority of cases were one-off incidents (87.5 per cent) rather than
recurring abuse. In 85 per cent of cases, girls reported that school authorities had no
knowledge of the abuse (ibid: 31-50).
In a 2004 Youth Profile commissioned by the Ministry of Youth and Sport and UNICEF,
20 per cent of girls who participated in the study reported that abuse was a problem
in schools. 65 However, interviewers noted that many students and teachers appeared
unwilling to talk about the subject. Students reported that they were forced to
choose: provide sex, pay money or face expulsion from school.
The majority of cases of sexual abuse reported by girls were settled in private, usually
with a fine paid by the teacher to the girl’s family. Cases were only referred to the
authorities when these negotiations were not successful. The 2005 study drew a
similar conclusion: “Frequently, measures for the resolution of this type of crime are
negotiations between the families involved. The authorities are only involved when
there is no consensus in the negotiation, for instance, when the accused is not willing
to pay the fines imposed” (SC et al 2005: 9-11).
Teachers involved in abuse tended to target vulnerable children who were less able to
refuse to cooperate. Abuse was found to be endemic in schools where the principal
and deputy principal were involved and to be greatly reduced when those in positions
of authority were active against the practice. The incidence of abuse was also lower
in schools that held regular parent-teacher meetings and where parents complained
directly on hearing about such abuse (UNICEF and MDJ 2004: 37-39).
Box 5.2: A student’s experience of sexual abuse at school
Student: Every night the headmaster calls a girl and touches her without her
consent. When anyone asks him why he does that, he answers by asking if it is
wrong to look.
Interviewer: Have you ever heard of sexual abuse What would sexual abuse be
for you Can you give me an example
Student: Yes, I have heard of it, it is when an older person has a sexual
relationship with someone that does not want to. For example: trying to kiss a girl
even though she does not want to be kissed.
Interviewer: Have you had a problem related to sexual abuse
Student: Yes, the headmaster came at night to the boarding school and tried to
kiss and fondle me by using force.
Interviewer: How did you feel after he tried to kiss you by using force
Student: I felt bad, I became sad and fearful.
Source: Study report on Sexual Abuse of Girls in Mozambican Schools Save the Children, CARE International, MEC
and Rede-CAME/FDC 2005
65 The study was based on interviews with 240 adolescents and 147 adults in Xai Xai, Manica, Gondola, Nicoadala and Nhamathanda (UNICEF
2004).
180 CHILDHOOD POVERTY IN MOZAMBIQUE: A SITUATION AND TRENDS ANALYSIS