Child Sexual Violence Prevention in Uganda: Why More Children Are Speaking Up
Did you know that more than 90% of child sexual violence cases involve someone the child or their family knows and trusts?
This sobering reality is true both in Uganda and around the world.
At Rescue One More, we’ve recently seen a concerning increase in reports of child sexual violence in schools. While the number of cases is alarming, there’s another side to the story that gives us hope: more children are finding the courage to speak up.
In the past several months alone, we’ve responded to two cases involving teachers and at least nine primary school-aged children.
Prevention Training Leads to Disclosure
In May, our team conducted a child sexual violence prevention training at a primary school in Kampala.
During the training, several children bravely disclosed that the same teacher had sexually abused them.
Because the children spoke up, action was taken quickly. The teacher was arrested and remains in custody while his case proceeds through the legal system.
Just one month earlier, seven students from a primary school in Wakiso wrote an SOS letter revealing that they had been subjected to sexual violence by a teacher on multiple occasions.
The story was covered by a national television news outlet, helping raise awareness about the risks children face when trusted adults abuse their positions of authority.
Supporting Survivors and Their Families
In both cases, Rescue One More helped facilitate the arrests and ensured the children received medical assessments, counseling, and ongoing support.
We also provided counseling and legal guidance to parents as they navigated the difficult process of seeking justice and healing for their children.
Our team continues to monitor these cases and advocate for the survivors every step of the way.
Why Child Sexual Violence Prevention Matters
Schools should be places where children feel safe, supported, and protected.
While every child is vulnerable to sexual violence, strong safeguarding measures can significantly reduce risk.
In many countries, schools rely on background checks, child protection policies, safeguarding training, and reporting systems to help keep children safe.
Unfortunately, many schools in Uganda lack the resources necessary to implement these protections consistently.
That’s why child sexual violence prevention in Uganda requires more than responding to cases after they occur. It requires educating children, equipping teachers, engaging parents, and building communities that recognize and report abuse.
The Power of Prevention Education
Multiple times a week, Rescue One More conducts prevention and awareness trainings for children, parents, teachers, and community leaders.
Children learn how to recognize unsafe situations, report abuse, and seek help from trusted adults.
Teachers and school staff learn how to identify warning signs, respond appropriately to disclosures, and fulfill their responsibility to protect children.
Parents learn how to create safer environments and support children who come forward.
Through these efforts, we’ve reached more than 100,000 people with child protection and prevention messages.
Why Reports Are Increasing
One question we’re often asked is why the number of reported cases appears to be rising.
The answer is simple: children are learning that they have a voice.
Every time we conduct a training, children come forward. (Here are examples of notes that children passed to social workers during a training.)
When we create safe spaces for disclosure, more children find the courage to speak.
The increase in reports doesn’t necessarily mean more abuse is occurring. It often means more abuse is being revealed.
For many children, our trainings are the first time anyone has told them that what happened to them is wrong, that they deserve protection, and that there are adults willing to help.
Hope for the Future
The stories we encounter can be heartbreaking, but they also remind us why prevention matters.
Every child who speaks up is one more child moving toward safety.
Each teacher who receives safeguarding training is one more adult equipped to protect children.
All parents who learn the signs of abuse are one more advocate for their child’s safety.
Real change takes time, but we are already seeing the impact.
By investing in child sexual violence prevention in Uganda, we are helping create communities where children are protected, survivors are supported, and abuse is no longer hidden in silence.
Thank you for standing with us as we work toward a safer future for Uganda’s children.
