Children with disabilities attending mainstream schools in Sierra Leone are experiencing alarmingly high levels of physical, sexual and psychological violence, according to new research that gives some of the clearest first-hand accounts yet from the children themselves. The study, carried out in the rural Karene district, found that everyday journeys to school, time spent in classrooms and even visits to the toilet can expose disabled pupils to bullying, corporal punishment and sexual harassment. The findings were published in Social Science & Medicine.
Researchers from Sightsavers and two Sierra Leonean disability organisations worked with 70 children aged between 11 and 19, alongside 120 parents, teachers and community members, using focus groups, participatory mapping and photography to capture where and how violence occurs. Many boys described being pushed, mocked or having belongings taken because they were seen as slow or unable to defend themselves, while girls reported frequent unwanted touching and sexual comments from male peers and men in their communities.
The findings point to corporal punishment as a routine part of school life, with children punished for arriving late even when mobility impairments made walking to school slower. Teachers were reported to be more lenient with girls, who were often expected to complete household chores before school, while boys bore the brunt of physical punishment for perceived disobedience.
Toilets emerged as particular hotspots for sexual harassment, with girls describing both harassment and the physical danger of slippery, poorly maintained facilities. Isolated footpaths, swampy terrain and areas known for drug use, including an old cemetery near one school, were also flagged as places where children with disabilities felt unsafe and were sometimes targeted by local youths.
The research also highlighted the impact of harmful cultural practices, including initiation ceremonies linked to female genital mutilation. Some families reportedly believed that initiation could improve a disabled daughter’s marriage prospects or even “cure” her impairment, occasionally leading to girls being initiated earlier than their peers and withdrawn from school for weeks at a time.
Despite these difficulties, the children offered practical suggestions for change. These included training teachers and parents to better understand disability, clearing overgrown paths and building safer bridges over streams, positioning traffic wardens near busy roads, and strengthening how schools handle reports of abuse.
The researchers argue that gender, disability, poverty and geography combine to shape a child’s risk of violence, meaning that responses need to consider all of these factors together rather than treating disability or gender in isolation. They note that stigma often leaves disabled children socially isolated, which in turn increases their vulnerability to further abuse.
With nearly 45,000 children with disabilities enrolled in Sierra Leonean schools, the researchers hope their findings will encourage policymakers to design safeguarding measures that are genuinely inclusive, rather than assuming that general anti-violence strategies will automatically protect disabled pupils.
