Abstract:
This study sought to examine the impact of forced displacement on violence
against children. Forced displacement relates to the coerced movement of persons
because of either natural or manmade disaster, while violence against children
refers to the deliberate usage of physical force or power, either threatened or
actual, on oneself, another child or a group of children with resultant impact on
the child’s physical, emotional, and psychological wellbeing. The study was
guided by three objectives which included examining the causes of violence
against children in the Bidibidi refugee settlement, examining the forms of
violence against children in the Bidibidi Refugee settlement, and examining the
effectiveness of existing mechanisms to prevent and respond to violence against
children in Bidibidi Refugee settlement. In this study, the researcher adopted
mixed-method research where both qualitative and quantitative data was
collected. The researcher also applied descriptive research to carry out the study.
The population of the study was 283,000 from which a sample of 399 was arrived
at using the Slovene formula for sample size determination. Respondents were
sampled through stratified sampling technique for the survey respondents and
purposive sampling for the Key informants. Data was collected using
questionnaires, interview guides and focused group discussion guides and was
analysed using mean and standard deviation. The study found out that VAC is
happening in Bidibidi and is being influenced by several factors including
separation of children from parents, lack of livelihood opportunities for
caregivers, and lack of awareness raising on child rights. The study further found
that unaccompanied children (UACs) in foster care, child-headed households,
and adolescent girls are the main categories of children at heightened risk of
sexual, physical, and emotional violence.
