Reasons and Justifications Used by Child Abuse Perpetrators in Zimbabwean Schools

Abstract

This study sought to determine reasons and justifications used by child abuse perpetrators as viewed by education officers who handle and process cases of child abuse by teachers in Zimbabwe. Six education officers were interviewed. They were purposefully selected for their knowledge in handling and processing child abuse cases. Sexual abuse resulted primarily from poverty, lack of respect for their pupils, protection of perpetrators at the expense of victims, the belief that young girls are AIDS free and moral decadence of teachers. Other reasons were abusive culture, presumed lack of emotional control and ignorance by both the abuser and the abused that emotional abuse is a form of abuse.