Prevalence, Challenges, and Interventions for Child Neglect: Cases Reported through Childline Kenya Helpline (2016-2018)

Abstract

It is not easy to approximate the degree and scale of maltreatment meted against children. However, the world today is reporting a consistent increase in the number of children who are subjects of investigation or alternative response. This is a cue that the likely number of children who finally get confirmed as maltreated may be very high. Kenya particularly, is reporting an increasing rate of violence against children. This study examined the prevalence of child neglect cases reported through Childline Kenya over a period of three years, 2016 to 2018, the nature and trends of child neglect cases reported in Kenya and the interventions employed by Childline Kenya to curb child neglect. The descriptive research design was used for the study. The data were collected through Childline Kenya’s helpline “116” harnessed from received phone calls from 2016 to 2018. Childline Kenya personnel received calls and recorded child neglect cases that were reported through this span of time. Interviews with Childline Kenya personnel were also conducted to complement the data reported through phone calls. Further, a desktop review of best practices of preventing and intervening for child neglect were also conducted. The collected data are presented through descriptive statistics, tables, graphs and emerging themes. The study found that, on average, there was a high prevalence of reported child neglect cases in Kenya, that there was an increase in child neglect cases reported in 2016 and 2017, with a slight drop in 2018. It also emerged that both males and females experienced child neglect, but more cases were reported among the males than females. Case management plan is the key strategy used by Childline Kenya as an intervention measure.