Choice of Non-Disclosure as Agency: A Systematic Review of Non-Disclosure of Sexual Violence in Girlhood in Africa

Africa is home to 308 million girls below the age of 18 of whom at least 50% have experienced sexual violence, despite the existence of international treaties as well as pan-African and national policies aimed at eliminating violence. Past studies on sexual violence against girls have focused on the consequences of violence and the experiences of survivors, including the fact that most violence is not disclosed. Some studies that attempted to outline barriers to the non-disclosure of sexual violence do not acknowledge the agency of survivors, thereby indirectly portraying them as passive victims of these barriers who need protection by adults. The available studies have not analyzed ways in which the survivors’ choice not to disclose can be understood as a form of agency. This systematic review was conducted, therefore, to examine the causes of non-disclosure of violence from the survivors’ point of view. Findings show that often when girls choose not to disclose sexual violence, they are strategically protecting themselves from further abuse and harm, such as physical punishment for talking about sex, forced marriage, threats of death, etc. The findings of this review have implications for research, policy, and programming. For example, more child-focused methods should be used to further study the non-disclosure of sexual violence.