Browsing by Author "Omona, Julius"

Now showing 1 - 2 of 2
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Child Sexual Abuse and Situational Context: Children’s Experiences in Post-Conflict Northern Uganda
    (Journal of Child Sexual Abuse, 2019) Nyangoma, Anicent; Ebila, Florence; Omona, Julius
    Although substantial literature exists on child sexual abuse (CSA), little is known about abuses children encounter in northern Uganda, a post-conflict area. Media reports have indicated a high incidence for CSA. The study, firstly, explored boys’ and girls’ experiences of sexual abuse by adults in this post-conflict region and secondly, interventions directed at improving the current situation of children at risk of child abuse and the survivors were investigated as well. The study was guided by radical feminism and nested ecological framework theories. Semi-structured interviews were conducted involving 43 sexually abused children. Narrative responses were audio recorded and transcribed. Content qualitative analysis was used to understand sexual offenses from children’s perspectives. Participants mentioned the following as the most perilous situations; laxity in parental roles, cultural norms, and practices, patriarchal attitudes, child sexual desires and attitudes, family breakdown and alcoholism. The study found many reported cases of CSA in the region. The results imply the exigent need of separate units specifically for reporting and handling child sexual offenses, need for personnel training on gender issues and filing system in child protection agencies and family programs for both fathers and mothers on child protection strategies for prevention and mitigation of CSA.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Exploring Youth Livelihood Challenges in Post-Conflict Northern Uganda
    (ARJESS, 2020) Kitambo, Enos; Omona, Julius; Mugumya, Firminus
    The persistence of youth challenges is a global concern, with unemployment biting the generation. In Uganda, the youth comprise the highest population (UBOS, 2014). The young ones are battling socio-economic challenges despite, natural resource availability, programmes from government, and NGOs. This study is questioning the continued misery of the youth in post conflict northern Uganda yet the country is endowed with natural resources and entrepreneurial interventions. The major objective of the study is to examine challenges facing youth and suggest best entrepreneurship measures to youth empowerment. The study employed explorative methods design to generate both qualitative data with a descriptive survey. The youth (18-30 years) as the primary respondents were randomly sampled. The findings portray that youth unemployment and poverty originated from the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) war which lasted for over 20 years and implanted dependence syndrome, laziness and negative attitudes towards agriculture and work. Limited entrepreneurial training, politicisation of livelihood programmes, inadequate capital and communal land, communication deficiencies were reported to be constraining factors to youth livelihood. The study therefore recommends youth entrepreneurship through intensive training, sensitisation, and parental inclusion in planning and implementation, access to market information and behavioural change for enhancing individual functioning.