Protection against child sexual violence model: legal, health and educational perspectives

Purpose This study aims to analyze the implementation of law enforcement in cases of child sexual violence, investigate the factors influencing child sexual violence, examine the impact of sexual violence on children’s health and explore the role of child protection models from legal, health and educational perspectives. Design/methodology/approach This study uses a qualitative approach. The qualitative study was conducted in two phases: semistructured in-depth interviews and focus group discussions. This study involved 70 randomly selected informants, consisting of 10 police officers, prosecutors, general court judges, officials from the Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection Agency, medical personnel, parents, teachers and community leaders. Findings The child protection system for victims of sexual violence faces significant obstacles, as indicated by several factors. There are gaps in the implementation of law enforcement, including inadequate victim assistance, suboptimal coordination among law enforcement agencies and ineffective communication and monitoring. In the health-care sector, limited facilities and inadequate health services hinder optimal protection efforts has a positive effect on child health. Research limitations/implications This study is limited in its examination of the recovery process that victims go through to return to their previolence condition. Future research should further explore this recovery process to ensure the right to life, survival and development of the child. Practical implications Stakeholders need to harmonize regulations and improve law enforcement competency through continuous training. There is a need for specific health service protocols for victims, as well as cross-sectoral coordination to address conflicting regulations. The implementation of preventive measures in the educational sector must be accelerated through educator training, and coordination with relevant authorities should be strengthened to enhance preventive efforts. Originality/value This study contributes to the literature on handling and preventing child sexual violence and presents explicitly a holistic and comprehensive model of protection against such violence. The approach includes prevention, treatment, rehabilitation and reintegration of victims, focusing on cross-sectoral collaboration, including education, health, law enforcement and social services, to ensure that victims’ needs are met comprehensively.