Abstract

Sexual abuse is one of the worst forms of abuses in Swaziland. This results in loss of personal integrity and credibility in adolescents, leaving them with disintegrated personality and human dignity. Sexual abuse leaves permanent scar with negative self-defeating experiences that are difficult to eradicate from the adolescents mind and they live with it for the rest of their life. The adolescents usually ask themselves many questions but fail to find answers to these questions. The questions could be why did I go there? Why did I not take a different direction? Why did it happen to me? Why am I cursed with this? These are the devastating questions that usually preoccupy the adolescents mind. When the adolescents fail to find answers to these, their emotions become evoked and consequently becoming depressed and a majority of cases take law in their own hand and may commit suicide.
Purpose: The purpose of the study was to report the consequences of adolescent sexual abuses and trauma they experience from a specific township in Swaziland.
Objectives: Objectives were to identify how adolescents become victim of sexual abuse; determine consequences of sexual abuse on adolescents personality; reveal consequences of sexual abuse on adolescents peace and happiness; ascertain consequences on family of the abused adolescents; and established sexual transmitted infections consequences among the adolescents.
Method: The study was based on an exploratory, descriptive quantitative design using convenient and purposive sampling techniques. They were used to select 150 research respondents as the sample of the study. Data was collected through the use of semi structured questionnaires. Data was analysed electronically by the use of the SPSS computer package version 23 (Softonic International, 2013). Research Rigor: Rigor in this research was ensured through internal validity, external validity, reliability and objectivity.
Results: 20% of total respondents from adolescents reported that the sexual abuse was due to dating, on the other hand 15 % of the respondents were the victims of their trusted relatives. Of the victims interviewed, 60 % of the respondent reported that they were abused by unsuspecting men. Not but least, 5 % of the respondents were victimized by mentally disabled persons. By the actions, the adolescents were physically hurt, unable to walk, had bruises, and suffered genital pains. The results have shown that following the sexual abuse, 55 % of the respondents of the adolescents performed badly at school. The grave consequence of abuse resulted in 20% of 126 adolescents that had reported that their peace and happiness was affected developed suicidal tendency. Furthermore, 5% % of the adolescents were found to have been infected with gonorrhoea and 10 % with HIV following the sexual abuse.