Abstract

This paper aims to assess consequences of sexual abuse in the Kaduna metropolis. Relevant literature was reviewed, and the Social Stigmatization Theory was equally employed. The study is purely qualitative; the study purposively selected thirteen participants, using In-depth Interviews (IDI) and Key Informant Interview (KII) instruments for data collection. Three physicians were purposively selected, one from the Neural Psychiatry Hospital, one in Barau Dikko Memorial Teaching Hospital, and one from Yusuf Dantsoho Memorial Hospital Tudun Wada, Kaduna. Two legal practitioners, one from the State Ministry of Justice, Kaduna, and one from the Federation of Nigerian Women Lawyers, two in charge of sexual abuse referral centres, one from DR. Gwamna Awan Hospital & Yusuf Dantsoho Memorial Hospital, Tudun Wada, Kaduna. Six victims of sexual abuse were also selected and interviewed. The findings showed that adverse consequences of sex abuse cut across the individual victims as well as members of the community, with various health related problems, as well as social ills. This study, therefore, recommends that government should establish more sexual abuse referral centres in each of the local government headquarters of Kaduna State for forensic investigations of sexual abuse victims and psycho-social management. The religious and traditional bodies should educate their members on consequences of sexual abuse and ills of social stigma attributed to victims as well the victims‟ families.