Exam Time or Hook-Up Time?

With exam period upon us, pupils are putting in extra hours at school or with friends in study groups. This is a good thing, right?

Well according to the Zambia Daily Mail it’s actually a time of illicit hook-ups between pupils!

But there is also a rise in sexual abuse and assault and an increase in the recorded number of child sexual abuse cases.

Speaking to the Mail, Zambia Police Service spokesperson Trasford Kasale says girls report being sexually abused during prep time or when they get permission from their parents to go and study with their friends.

He said girls are most likely to get sexually abused by their peers, teachers or older men. He warned girls against getting lifts home from school from strangers - and said that’s how some pupils ended up being abused.

He further cautioned girls against accepting gifts from older men as there was often a sinister motive to these.

Any advance from a teacher is against the law. It is illegal for an adult to have sex with a minor. The Victim Support Unit (VSU) have trained youth friendly officers to assist you report any abuse.