Keywords:
child sexual abuse
prevalence
risk factors
prevention
intervention
Vietnam

  • Abstract

    Child sexual abuse (CSA) is a severe global problem that has long-term psychological, physical, and societal effects for victims. This review looks at the prevalence, risk factors, and effects of CSA, with a specific emphasis on Vietnam. The frequency of CSA varies worldwide, with notable regional variations. In Vietnam, approximately 2,000 children are sexually abused each year, with females being disproportionately affected. Risk variables include age, gender, family dynamics, social level, and cultural norms. The review investigates the short- and long-term effects of CSA, which include mental health illnesses, physical health issues, and social difficulties. Prevention and intervention efforts, including as school-based education programs and parental involvement, show promise, but they encounter obstacles owing to cultural stigma and limited resources. The Vietnamese government has developed a variety of policies and legal frameworks to combat CSA, however gaps persist. This research emphasizes the importance of a multidimensional approach that involves broad education, substantial support services, and ongoing legislative improvements to effectively prevent and respond to CSA. Future study should focus on improving preventative strategies and assuring their long-term efficacy.

  • References

    1. Alaggia, R. (2005). Disclosing the Trauma of Child Sexual Abuse: A Gender Analysis. Journal of Loss and Trauma, 10(5), 453-470. https://doi.org/10.1080/15325020500193895
    2. Bagley, C. (1991). The Long-Term Psychological Effects of Child Sexual Abuse: A Review of Some British and Canadian Studies of Victims and Their Families. Annals of Sex Research, 4(1), 23-48. https://doi.org/10.1177/107906329100400102
    3. Briere, J. N., & Elliott, D. M. (1994). Immediate and Long-Term Impacts of Child Sexual Abuse. The Future of Children, 4(2), 54-69. https://doi.org/10.2307/1602523
    4. Do, H. N., Nguyen, H. Q., Nguyen, L. T., Nguyen, H. D., Bui, T. P., Phan, N. T., Do, H. T., Ha, G. H., Phan, H. T., Nguyen, T. H., Ngo, A. T., Pham, K. T., Tran, B. X., Latkin, C. A., Ho, C. S. H., & Ho, R. C. M. (2019). Perception and Attitude about Child Sexual Abuse among Vietnamese School-Age Children. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 16(20), 3973. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16203973
    5. Do, H. T. H., Nguyen, K. K., & Pham, H. P. (2020). The Impact of Education on Child Abuse Prevention. European Journal of Business and Management, 12(20), 80-89. https://doi.org/10.7176/EJBM/12-20-09
    6. Do, P. T. (2020). Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters in the Process of Dealing with Child Sexual Abuse Cases in Vietnam. Kutafin Law Review, 7(1), 108-123. https://doi.org/10.17803/2313-5395.2020.1.13.108-123
    7. Dube, S. R., Anda, R. F., Whitfield, C. L., Brown, D. W., Felitti, V. J., Dong, M., & Giles, W. H. (2005). Long-Term Consequences of Childhood Sexual Abuse by Gender of Victim. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 28(5), 430-438. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2005.01.015
    8. Easton, S. D., & Kong, J. (2017). Mental health indicators fifty years later: A population-based study of men with histories of child sexual abuse. Child Abuse & Neglect, 63, 273-283. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2016.09.011
    9. Edoh-Torgah, N. A., & Matafwala, M. (2021). Counseling Sexually Abused Children: Lessons from Ghana and Zambia. In E. Kalfoğlu & S. Kalfoglou (Eds.), Sexual Abuse. IntechOpen. https://doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.97413
    10. Emery, C. R., Nguyen, H. T., & Kim, J. (2013). Understanding Child Maltreatment in Hanoi: Intimate Partner Violence, Low Self-Control, and Social and Child Care Support. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 29(7), 1228-1257. https://doi.org/10.1177/0886260513506276
    11. Essabar, L., Khalqallah, A., & Dakhama, B. S. B. (2015). Child sexual abuse: report of 311 cases with review of literature. Pan African Medical Journal, 20, 47. https://doi.org/10.11604/pamj.2015.20.47.4569
    12. Farr, J., Edbrooke-Childs, J., Town, R., Pietkiewicz, D., Young, I., & Stapley, E. (2021). Counseling for Young People and Families Affected by Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse: A Qualitative Investigation of the Perspective of Young People, Parents, and Professionals. Journal of Child Sexual Abuse, 30(1), 102-123. https://doi.org/10.1080/10538712.2020.1848959
    13. Finkelhor, D. (2007). Prevention of Sexual Abuse Through Educational Programs Directed Toward Children. Pediatrics, 120(3), 640-645. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2007-0754
    14. Finkelhor, D., & Browne, A. (1985). The traumatic impact of child sexual abuse: A conceptualization. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 55(4), 530-541. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1939-0025.1985.tb02703.x
    15. Fontes, L. A., & Plummer, C. (2010). Cultural Issues in Disclosures of Child Sexual Abuse. Journal of Child Sexual Abuse, 19(5), 491-518. https://doi.org/10.1080/10538712.2010.512520
    16. Gilligan, P., & Akhtar, S. (2006). Cultural Barriers to the Disclosure of Child Sexual Abuse in Asian Communities: Listening to What Women Say. The British Journal of Social Work, 36(8), 1361-1377. https://doi.org/10.1093/bjsw/bch309
    17. Grosz, C. A., Kempe, R. S., & Kelly, M. (2000). Extrafamilial sexual abuse: treatment for child victims and their families. Child Abuse & Neglect, 24(1), 9-23. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0145-2134(99)00113-1
    18. Ho, G. T. (2022). Research on Ways to Educate Children on How to Avoid Sexual Abuse: A Case of Vietnamese Children. International Journal of Early Childhood Special Education, 14(1), 780-785. https://doi.org/10.9756/INT-JECSE/V14I1.221091
    19. Hoang, T. A. (2018). Child Sexual Assault in Vietnam: A Legislative Approach and Comparison. Journal of Law, Policy and Globalization, 78, 30-36. https://www.iiste.org/Journals/index.php/JLPG/article/view/44766
    20. Hooper, C.-A., & Warwick, I. (2006). Gender and the politics of service provision for adults with a history of childhood sexual abuse. Critical Social Policy, 26(2), 467-479. https://doi.org/10.1177/0261018306062596
    21. Huynh, S. V., Tran-Chi, V.-L., & Nguyen, T. T. (2018). Vietnamese Teachers' Perceptions of Social-Emotional Learning Education in Primary Schools. European Journal of Contemporary Education, 7(4), 874-881. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1200956
    22. Huynh, S. V., Vu, G. T., Mai, H. M., & Nguyen, H. T. (2019). Pilot Results of a Handbook: Prevention Skills of Sexual-Abuse for Primary Students. International Journal of Learning and Development, 9(2), 40-48. https://doi.org/10.5296/ijld.v9i2.14757
    23. Johnson, C. F. (2004). Child sexual abuse. The Lancet, 364(9432), 462-470. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(04)16771-8
    24. Kwiatkowski, L. (2019). A “Wife’s Duty” and Social Suffering: Sexual Assault in Marital Relationships in Vietnam. Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment & Trauma, 28(1), 68-84. https://doi.org/10.1080/10926771.2018.1494237
    25. Le-Trung, K., & Tran-Thi, T.-N. (2019). Child Sexual Exploitation Investigation in Vietnam and Recommendations. American Scientific Research Journal for Engineering, Technology, and Sciences, 51(1), 66–77. https://asrjetsjournal.org/index.php/American_Scientific_Journal/article/view/4553
    26. Letourneau, E. J., Brown, D. S., Fang, X., Hassan, A., & Mercy, J. A. (2018). The economic burden of child sexual abuse in the United States. Child Abuse & Neglect, 79, 413-422. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2018.02.020
    27. Mathews, B., & Collin-Vézina, D. (2016). Child sexual abuse: Raising awareness and empathy is essential to promote new public health responses. Journal of Public Health Policy, 37(3), 304-314. https://doi.org/10.1057/jphp.2016.21
    28. Nguyen, T. P. (2020). Some Recommendations for Preventing Child Sexual Abuse in Viet Nam. Journal of Criminology and Sociology, 9, 192–197. https://doi.org/10.6000/1929-4409.2020.09.17
    29. O’Leary, P., Easton, S. D., & Gould, N. (2015). The Effect of Child Sexual Abuse on Men: Toward a Male Sensitive Measure. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 32(3), 423-445. https://doi.org/10.1177/0886260515586362
    30. Onyishi, C. N. (2022). Prevalence and psychological outcomes of child sexual abuse in Nigeria. International Journal of Health Sciences, 6(S4), 460–477. https://doi.org/10.53730/ijhs.v6nS4.5550
    31. Pham, T. T. T. (2023). Legal Framework of Vietnam in Protecting Children against Sexual Abuse in Cyberspace. International Journal of Current Science Research and Review, 6(12), 7805-7811. https://doi.org/10.47191/ijcsrr/V6-i12-37
    32. Ray, K. C., & Jackson, J. L. (1997). Family Environment and Childhood Sexual Victimization: A Test of the Buffering Hypothesis. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 12(1), 3-17. https://doi.org/10.1177/088626097012001001
    33. Roberts, R., O’Connor, T., Dunn, J., & Golding, J. (2004). The effects of child sexual abuse in later family life; mental health, parenting and adjustment of offspring. Child Abuse & Neglect, 28(5), 525-545. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2003.07.006
    34. Rushing, R. (2006). Migration and Sexual Exploitation in Vietnam. Asian and Pacific Migration Journal, 15(4), 471-494. https://doi.org/10.1177/011719680601500403
    35. Sanjeevi, J., Houlihan, D., Bergstrom, K. A., Langley, M. M., & Judkins, J. (2018). A Review of Child Sexual Abuse: Impact, Risk, and Resilience in the Context of Culture. Journal of Child Sexual Abuse, 27(6), 622-641. https://doi.org/10.1080/10538712.2018.1486934
    36. Sapp, M. V., & Vandeven, A. M. (2005). Update on childhood sexual abuse. Current Opinion in Pediatrics, 17(2), 258-264. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.mop.0000158731.64293.c7
    37. Sawyerr, A., & Bagley, C. (2017). Child Sexual Abuse and Adolescent and Adult Adjustment: A Review of British and World Evidence, with Implications for Social Work, and Mental Health and School Counselling. Advances in Applied Sociology, 7, 1-15. https://doi.org/10.4236/aasoci.2017.71001
    38. Stoltenborgh, M., van Ijzendoorn, M. H., Euser, E. M., & Bakermans-Kranenburg, M. J. (2011). A Global Perspective on Child Sexual Abuse: Meta-Analysis of Prevalence Around the World. Child Maltreatment, 16(2), 79-101. https://doi.org/10.1177/1077559511403920
    39. Thuong, N. H., Ha, N. T., Tu, P. V., & Huong, N. T. M. (2019). Factors Associated with Child Sexual Abuse in Vietnam: A Qualitative Study. American Journal of Educational Research, 7(8), 537-541. https://doi.org/10.12691/education-7-8-2
    40. Tran, N. K., van Berkel, S. R., Nguyen, H. T., van Ijzendoorn, M. H., & Alink, L. R. A. (2018). Changes in the prevalence of child maltreatment in Vietnam over 10 years. Child Abuse & Neglect, 80, 172-182. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2018.03.015
    41. Tran, N. K., Van Berkel, S. R., van Ijzendoorn, M. H., & Alink, L. R. A. (2017). The association between child maltreatment and emotional, cognitive, and physical health functioning in Vietnam. BMC Public Health, 17(1), 332. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-017-4258-z
    42. Tran, N. K., van Berkel, S. R., van Ijzendoorn, M. H., & Alink, L. R. A. (2021). Child and Family Factors Associated With Child Maltreatment in Vietnam. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 36(5-6), NP2931-NP2953. https://doi.org/10.1177/0886260518767914
    43. Trang, K., Jovanovic, T., Hinton, D. E., Sullivan, P., Worthman, C. M., Lam, L. X., Chi, N. K., Thanh, N. C., Ha, T. V., Go, V., Hoffman, I., & Giang, L. M. (2022). Elevated trauma exposure and mental health burden among men who have sex with men in Vietnam. Transcultural Psychiatry, 59(3), 362-379. https://doi.org/10.1177/13634615211058348
    44. Trickett, P. K., & Putnam, F. W. (1993). Impact of Child Sexual Abuse on Females: Toward a Developmental, Psychobiological Integration. Psychological Science, 4(2), 81-87. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9280.1993.tb00465.x
    45. Walsh, K., Zwi, K., Woolfenden, S., & Shlonsky, A. (2015). School-Based Education Programs for the Prevention of Child Sexual Abuse: A Cochrane Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Research on Social Work Practice, 28(1), 33-55. https://doi.org/10.1177/1049731515619705
    46. Wurtele, S. K., & Kenny, M. C. (2010). Partnering with parents to prevent childhood sexual abuse. Child Abuse Review, 19(2), 130-152. https://doi.org/10.1002/car.1112
Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Copyright (c) 2024 The Authors

How to cite

Nguyen, M. T. D., & Mai, L. H. (2024). Child sexual abuse in Vietnam: A review of prevalence, risk factors, and prevention strategies. Multidisciplinary Reviews, 7(11), 2024269. https://doi.org/10.31893/multirev.2024269
Crossref
Scopus
Google Scholar
Europe PMC
  • Article viewed - 1609
  • PDF downloaded - 2288