Sexual dysfunction, relationship satisfaction, and child abuse in Ugandan : a case of Wakiso District

Abstract

Child abuse has always been a major social problem and has continued to rise in Uganda. There has however been less research linking child abuse to couple processes such as sexual dysfunctioning and relationship satisfaction. This study aimed to investigate the relationships among sexual dysfunction, relationship satisfaction and child abuse in Uganda. In this study, quantitative and specifically correlation research design was used to identify the relationships among sexual dysfunction, relationship satisfaction and child abuse among 150 respondents in Wakiso District. Data was collected using self-administered standardized structured questionnaires. Results indicated sexual dysfunction is a significant predicator of relationship satisfaction (p = .004 < .05) but not child abuse (p = 0.294 >.05) and that relationship satisfaction is a significant predictor of child abuse (p = 0.03 < .05). Sexual dysfunction was found not to have a direct significant relationship with child abuse (β = .117, p > .05) but an indirect one mediated by relationship satisfaction (β = .004 and β = .015) where significance was at (β = .0006, p < .05). It’s therefore important that sexual dysfunction is not ignored while dealing with parent child relationships. Interventions need to be developed focusing on parental/guardian relations by helping them to adjust to their role through training, proper and adequate dispensation of information, and provision of counselling services.