Ethiopian Journal Of Behavioural Studies

The Experience of Girl Intra-familial Sexual Abuse Survivors in Addis Ababa: A Qualitative Analysis

Tewelde Yordanos, Mulugeta Emebet — Thu, 29 Aug 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Any sexual behavior directed towards girls under the age of 18 by a family member or those close to the family is known as intrafamilial sexual abuse. Research conducted in Ethiopia to examine sexual violence against girls discuss the issue without highlighting intrafamilial sexual abuse. In addition, efforts to explore factors and contexts that precipitate these experiences are minimally addressed. This study used a phenomenological qualitative method to investigate the incidence of intrafamilial sexual abuse against girls. Accordingly, an interview guide was employed involving ten survivors of intrafamial sexual abuse, focusing on what happened, how it happened, when it happened, where it happened, and the factors that exposed them to the abuse within the ecological framework. The findings indicate that multiple factiors contributed to the intrafamilial sexual abuse. These factors include individual chatacteristics such as age and lack of information, microsystem factors such as family relationships, family structure and living condition, mesosystem factors including the girls’ isolation, lack of networking, and the family relationships with relatives and the expectations attached, and exosystem factors like parents’, especially mothers’ work and working situation. In addition, microsystem factors including values given to female children and gender relationships and norms play a part in exposing girls to intrafamilial sexual abuse. Any intervention to address the problem of intrafamilial sexual abuse against girls should consider the various factors operating at these different levels.

Curriculum Differentiation in Ethiopian Secondary Education: Practices of Boarding and Special Day Schools and Student Experiences

Tarekegn Kagnew, Mekonnen Dawit — Thu, 29 Aug 2024 00:00:00 +0000

The study examined curriculum differentiation practices and student experiences at special day and boarding schools. Seven teachers, two principals, and 16 students participated in a multiple-case study design. Interviews were conducted with teachers and principals, and focus group discussions were held with students from each school. The National Curriculum framework and student grade rosters were reviewed. The data were analyzed through qualitative descriptions of themes. The study reveals that boarding and special day schools adhere to the standard secondary school curriculum and streams, with minimal curriculum differentiation, by deepening curriculum contents, providing local language options, and improving laboratory activities. Both boarding school and special day school students work for academic excellence. This drive stems from the favorable educational environment provided by schools, which includes competent teaching staff, well-equipped laboratories, and modern ICT facilities. Students appreciate the collaborative environment and support from peers and teachers. Boarding school students reported improved time and self-management skills. However, students are concerned that excessive focus on academic excellence and competition has increased stress levels and limited the development of non-academic skills. Special day school students question whether curriculum differentiation would widen inequitable access to educational resources. It is concluded that boarding and special day schools fall short of meeting the core principles of curriculum differentiation, as their curriculum, streams, and expected outcomes are similar to mainstream secondary schools. It is imperative that the bodies concerned deliberate on the purpose, student selection process, provision of differentiated curriculum (in any form), and the formulation of a policy to guide the establishment and management of these types of schools.

The Practice of Using Appropriate Curriculum for Students with Intellectual Disability in two Primary Schools of Gondar City

Tafere Simachew , Teklemariam Alemayehu — Thu, 29 Aug 2024 00:00:00 +0000

The aim of the present qualitative case study is to explore teachers’ current practice of using appropriate curriculum for students with intellectual disabilities (SwID) in special classes of primary schools in Gondar city. The study involved six special needs education teachers using purposive sampling. The data collected through interviews, classroom observations and document review were analyzed using thematic analysis technique. The analysis revealed four major themes: Conceptualization of curriculum for SwID, the kind of curriculum content being offered, preference of functional curriculum to the academic curriculum and challenges teachers faced during curriculum implementation. Teachers’ limited knowledge and skills in adapting curriculum for SwID and consecutivelythe absence of adapted curriculum for SwID were found to be the major challanges. Implications for practice and recommendations were forwarded including the need for arranging a series of short term training for these teachers to help children with intellectual disabilities that they have the right to quality education using appropriate curriculum.

Beginning from the Very Beginning: The Role of Family Environment in Shaping Adolescents’ Nonviolent Behavior

Hambisa Mitiku — Thu, 29 Aug 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Based on the prevalence of violence in our current world, including Ethiopia, the importance
of nonviolent behavior (NVB), and the scarcity of empirical studies of factors that contribute
to NVB, this study sought to examine the role of Ethiopian adolescents’ family environments
(FEs) in their NVBs. The study employed a quantitative approach and was conducted on
Ethiopian adolescents attending secondary school (grades 11 &12) in Addis Ababa. 274
randomly selected adolescents (170 females, 104 males) participated in the study.
Questionnairescomposed of demographic questions and two scales, the Family Environment
Scale (FES) and the Diamond Scale of Nonviolence (DSN), were used to collect data. The
data was analyzed by descriptive statistics, correlation, and structural equation modeling
(SEM). It was found that the six components of FE accounted for a substantial amount of
variance (R2 = 31.80%) in NVB. The structural model that guided the study (which was
labeled the Peace Engineering Model) was found to fit the adolescents’ data adequately and
thus was applicable in explaining the relationships between NVB and components of FE.
Overall, it was concluded that the adolescents’ FEs play vital roles in shaping NVB. The
theoretical and practical implications of these findings were discussed.

Begging among Physically Healthy Adults in Addis Ababa: Reasons and Strategies

Kemal Abduselam , Tefera Belay — Thu, 29 Aug 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Currently, in Addis Ababa, several people including physically healthy are leading their life through begging. The present study sought to examine the reasons that led physically healthy adults engage in beginning to make a living. The strategies they employed while begging were also assessed. A total of 33 physically healthy beggars from different begging spots found in four sub-cities of Addis Ababa were selected through purposive, availability and convenience sampling techniques. In addition, three officials from the Labor and Social Affairs Bureau of Addis Ababa city administration were drawn purposely. Physical Health Screening Tool, developed by the researcher, was used to identify physically healthy participants. Data were collected using interviews and FGDs and analyzed thematically using a deductive approach. Findings reveal that poverty, unemployment, and invitations by other beggars were among the major reasons for begging. The researchers recommend that to decrease or ultimately eliminate begging, reasons accounting for begging need to be given attention by City Government Administration, Labor and Social Affairs Bureau and all concerned government and non-government organizations. Furthermore, serious regulations need to be put in place by the House of People’s Representatives to discourage begging by physically healthy individuals.

Child Work: A Strategy to Fitting Children to the Macro-Environment in the Ethiopian Context

Lemma Girma — Thu, 29 Aug 2024 00:00:00 +0000

The understanding that children’s involvement in over demanding activities at home and outside is recognized as harmful to their development and should be replaced with universal primary education is an established social goal (Larsen, 2003). Indeed, engaging children in unacceptable forms of child labor continues to exist in all parts of the world. Poverty, household situations and school environment force children to participate in labor and ultimately threaten their future physical, psychological and social development. These children could also be victims of discrimination and all forms of maltreatments which eventually deprive them from their human rights and more particularly child rights. In its comprehensive sense, therefore, harmful practices including child labor can be perceived as one form of child abuse. According to Befekadu and Tsegaye cited in Deaslegn(1998, p. 21), child abuse is defined as “ any act of omission by individuals, institutions or society as a whole and any condition resulting from such acts which deprive children of their equal rights and liberties and/or interfere with their optimal development