Lived experiences of violence in homes of children aged three to eight years old. a case of nabuyonga slum, mbale city

Abstract

Violence against children is a prevalent phenomenon in the world. Most studies have always focused on documenting violence against largely adolescent children, leaving out those in early childhood. The phenomenology research design focused on establishing the lived experiences of three to eight-year-old children experiencing violence at home. The study collected data using interviews with the children, focus group discussion guides with the parents and participants’ observation guides with the children. The techniques, such as body mapping and photo voice, were also used to get more detailed information from the children. The findings indicated that the children were exposed to different categories of violence, including verbal, physical, child labour, child neglect, psychological and sexual abuse. Regarding the meaning children attributed to violence against children at home, it was discovered that whenever children are abused, they feel isolated, not loved and confused and based on the strategies they used for coping with violence at home, they said they applied practical thoughts, emotions, and actions to different situations in order to face the pressures. The children need education and training from an early age about their rights and how they can protect themselves. The communities need initiatives to empower children to report cases of violence at home to local authorities, such as Local Council One, and children need education and training from an early age about their rights and how they can protect themselves.