Sexual Abuse Among Adolescents (13 to 19 Years) of Boys and Girls in Three Private Schools in Dhaka City, Bangladesh

Background: Sexual abuse in adolescents is a global public health issue with severe physical, psychological, and long-term effects. In Bangladesh, societal stigma, underreporting, and weak legal enforcement further exacerbate the issue. Objectives: The primary objective is to evaluate the prevalence and patterns of sexual abuse among adolescents in three Dhaka schools, with secondary objectives to assess their clinical, demographic, and mental health status. Method and Materials: This cross-sectional study aims to evaluate the prevalence of sexual abuse among 130 adolescents (aged 13-19) from three private schools in Dhaka, selected through purposive sampling. Data will be collected using a pre-tested questionnaire administered by trained research assistants. The data will be analyzed using SPSS and STATA for both descriptive and inferential statistics. Result: The study included 130 adolescents, with boys making up 53.8% and girls 46.2%. The most prevalent form of sexual abuse was verbal abuse, reported by 46.2% of participants, followed by physical touch (30.8%) and online abuse (15.4%). Peers or schoolmates were the primary perpetrators in 38.5% of cases, while 19.2% reported abuse by strangers. Notably, 46.2% of the adolescents did not report the abuse to anyone. Of those who did, 30.8% informed school authorities, and 23.1% confided in their family. Conclusion: Children, particularly girls, are highly vulnerable to sexual abuse due to lack of parental awareness, weak reporting systems, and difficulty in disclosing abuse. Strengthening community vigilance and reporting mechanisms is essential to protect them.