Most adults’ focus groups including those with adult prostitutes expressed concern and ambivalence about children’s rights. Many strongly believed that children needed certain things in order to develop effectively however these things were not expressed as rights. Some said that they could only do and give what they could and what they have and that children should be made to understand the limitations of poverty. Again, not many adult community leaders stressed any significant role for Government or NGO’s in protection of children and in provision of basic needs.

Essentially, as with focus groups with children, most categories of adults agreed that there was not many governmental authorities could do to curb sexual exploitation of children and that it was essentially up to individual families and children.

Adults groups were split on whom or what was to blame for sexual abuse and exploitation of children. Male elders often harped on changing traditions, westernization, and failure of modern institutions to address moral issues and indecent behaviour the way their forefathers were able to. Male elders and traditional leaders also blamed women or mothers who they accused of colluding with their daughters and encouraging them to have boyfriends. They also faulted weak men who are supposed to be heads of households but instead allow their homes to be controlled by their wives. In all fairness, male elders blamed men first and first most for being the perpetrators of sexual abuse and exploitation, for failing to control their carnal urges and transgressing religious and customary laws. Some gave impassioned examples of how their own families have been affected by child sexual exploitation.

For their own part, women leaders blamed men, their husbands, for financial irresponsibility and lack of sexual self-control. Most women also blamed other women for not exercising enough control over their daughters and instilling in them proper moral values. Those who had personal experiences defended themselves and other mothers insisting that some daughters are just plain stubborn and will not listen to what elders say. They blamed their husbands, the fathers of their daughters, for interfering when they want to discipline. School officials interviewed blamed the school system and individual teachers that pervert their roles and responsibilities to their students.

Most adults’ community leaders agreed that they were the ones ultimately responsible for protecting their children against sexual abuse and exploitation. However they complained that children’s ideas about western values and lifestyles as well as increasing clamour over children’s rights were making it difficult for them to have control over their children. Many expressed fear of being taken to the police for beating their children, which used to be the accepted traditional means for keeping them in line. As with children’s groups, adults’ community, leaders did not stress the responsibility of the state to assist them in protecting their children from sexual abuse and exploitation. Most adults felt that there was already too much Government interference in such matters and that left to traditional methods of dealing with perpetrators of child sexual abuse and exploitation, such practices would be greatly reduced.

School officials disagreed and stressed the need for various Government departments to work together to eradicate the scourge of sexual abuse and exploitation, especially within the school system. They did not support current policies within certain schools of simply transferring known abusers of children is to have a zero-tolerance policy, which gives greater weight to the testimonies and complaints of students affected.

Police and NIA officials interviewed were uncertain about the role of the police in responding to child abuse and exploitation cases. They noted that corruption was rampant, and most cases are squashed through payoffs from the wealthy accused. Also, one NIA officer noted that his own investigation has shown that corrections officers sometimes take part in abuse of children, particularly children engaged in prostitution that are rounded up in raids. Fellow officers rarely report these criminal acts. Further, some officers stated that reporting sexual abuse such as incest to the authorities rarely serves the interest of children. They believed, as with any children and other adults, which such private matters are best left to traditional mechanisms of law enforcement.

In some instance, adults did say that children must play a role in their own protection-primary by listening to and following the advice of their parents and other elders. As some of the children’s groups observed, many adults agreed that parents can only do so much to protect their children. Even if their needs are taken care of, they can still engage in behaviour that is detrimental to their well being, such as sexual relations with sugar daddies. Most children engaged in prostitution did in fact say that their parents had no idea of what they did for a living and they could easily hide their income from them. Thus, the prevailing idea that parents collude with and support their children’s exploitation could be a partial exaggeration, perhaps a convenient form of denial that one’s own children could become a victim. Adult prostitutes generally blamed themselves and the men who exploited them for their predicament. The idea that, as children, parents and authorities should have protected them seemed native to most of them and a denial of their own agency and ability to make a rational decision.

Most adult male and female community leaders were wary about sex education in schools and children’s right to know about and to take responsibility of their sexual and reproductive health. Many believed that this was a western attitude that simply encouraged children to engage in immoral behaviour. Also most of them said that they would be against their children having access to medical treatment and advice concerning their sexual and reproductive health without the parents consent.

Most adult prostitutes had not attended school but stated that sex education could empower young girls to say no to sexual exploitation and abuse as well as to protect them against unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases. Many believed that if they had had access to primary and secondary school education and were given control over their sexuality (particularly for those who were married at early ages) they would not have ended up prostitutes.

Nearly all adult male and female community leaders felt that there were certain instances in which early marriage was not only suitable but the only option for certain girls, especially those who are deemed dull in school yet precocious in sexual matters.

On the whole male and female community leaders believed that education should be a priority for both male and female children. However, they added that early marriage does not necessarily interfere with a girl education, if the girl in question is serious about her studies and her husband is support. None of the adults cited medical risks of early pregnancies, suggesting perhaps that school children were a ware of these risks primarily through education in schools. As with children’s groups, the general consensus among adult male and female community members and prostitutes regarding the appropriate age for male marriage was around 25 years.