Child sexual abuse (CSA) is a major social and public health issue that creates short- and long-lasting impacts on victims, families, and society. While global researchers have considered the topic of CSA since the 19th century, the Nigerian context has been largely ignored. Yet, without sufficient evidence and understanding, making changes to practices and policies becomes almost impossible. The review aimed to gain insights into the nature and extent of CSA and identify areas for improvement in practice and research in Nigeria. This article presents the findings of a systematic review of 31 empirical articles related to CSA in Nigeria. Using key search terms along Boolean operators and truncation, PubMed, PsycINFO, CINAHL, ASSIA, PILOTS, African Journals Online, and Google Scholar were searched. A total of 1,325 studies were found, and 31 empirical studies, including 20 quantitative, 9 qualitative, and 2 mixed methods studies, were included. The review findings reveal the discourse on CSA and delve into various aspects such as its prevalence, manifestation patterns, root causes, management, and consequential impact on victims and societal domains. The gaps in the existing literature are identified and explored to identify areas for improvement in victim services, societal awareness, and healthcare practices and relevant policies. The sociocultural norms not only heightened children’s vulnerability to sexual abuse but also posed significant barriers to them disclosing such abuse. Survivors of CSA often receive inadequate care, indicating a pressing need for improvements in this area. Implications for research, policy, and conclusion were discussed.

中文翻译：

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尼日利亚儿童性虐待：系统回顾


儿童性虐待（CSA）是一个重大的社会和公共卫生问题，对受害者、家庭和社会造成短期和长期的影响。尽管全球研究人员自 19 世纪以来就开始考虑 CSA 的话题，但尼日利亚的背景却在很大程度上被忽视了。然而，如果没有足够的证据和理解，改变做法和政策几乎是不可能的。此次审查旨在深入了解 CSA 的性质和范围，并确定尼日利亚实践和研究中需要改进的领域。本文介绍了对 31 篇与尼日利亚 CSA 相关的实证文章进行系统回顾的结果。使用布尔运算符和截断的关键搜索词，对 PubMed、PsycINFO、CINAHL、ASSIA、PILOTS、African Journals Online 和 Google Scholar 进行了搜索。共找到 1,325 项研究，其中包括 31 项实证研究，其中包括 20 项定量研究、9 项定性研究和 2 项混合方法研究。审查结果揭示了关于 CSA 的讨论，并深入探讨了其流行程度、表现模式、根本原因、管理以及对受害者和社会领域的影响等各个方面。识别和探讨现有文献中的差距，以确定受害者服务、社会意识、医疗保健实践和相关政策方面需要改进的领域。社会文化规范不仅增加了儿童遭受性虐待的可能性，而且还对他们揭露此类虐待行为构成了重大障碍。 CSA 幸存者往往得不到足够的护理，这表明迫切需要在这一领域进行改进。讨论了对研究、政策和结论的影响。