KUMJ | VOL. 22 | NO. 4 | ISSUE 88 | OCTOBER. - DECEMBER. 2024

Socio Demographic Profiling of Victims of Sexual Offense in Kavrepalanchowk District: a cross-sectional study at a tertiary care center, Nepal
Khan AS, Pokharel S, Paudel S, Poudel P, Karki A

Abstract:
Background Sexual offence is an umbrella term referring to a classification of sexual acts and experiences that are imposed, pressured, coerced onto a person. The latest information from women children and senior citizen survey center of Nepal stated that about 2321 rape cases were recorded in the year 2020 to 2021. Objective This study is aimed at socio-demographic profiling of victims of sexual assault, identify the most vulnerable age group and the area with highest incidence for future sexual assault prevention. Method The descriptive cross-sectional study at Dhulikhel Hospital (December 2018 to June 2023) analyzed 136 sexual offense cases via convenience sampling. Data were collected from medical records, following ethical approval. Incomplete or unrelated cases were excluded, and hospital/national protocols were adhered to. Data analysis was conducted using Microsoft Excel with descriptive statistics. Result Out of 136 victims, most were aged between birth and 20 years (71.32%), while only 1.47% were aged 60-80 years. The youngest victim was 15 months old, and the oldest was 65 years. Females comprised 98.52% and males 1.48% where all the males were victims of sodomy. The type of offence most prevalent was rape (70.58%) followed by indecent assault (19.11%), with some cases of incest (7.35%). The municipality with the most number of cases was Panauti (16.16%), followed by Panchkhal (13.23%) and Bhumlu with 10.29%. The majority of the cases took place in the year 2077 BS rounding up to 39 cases in Kavrepalanchowk district. However, noting the numbers in the year 2080 BS, there seems to be a rapid rise of cases as there have already been 19 cases in four months. Conclusion The most vulnerable group for sexual offenses was the population below the age 20 and most of the cases occurred in Panauti municipality which emphasizes the need of sexual and moral education in that place and age group. The areas in Kavrepalanchowk district with increasing cases of sexual offenses should incorporate standardized protocols in implementing education as well as strict regulations of the community guidelines.
Keyword : Gender-based violence, Kavrepalanchowk district, Nepal, Sexual education, Sexual offense