Efficacy of Telephone Counselling on the Psychosocial Wellbeing of Child Sexual Abuse Survivors in Selected Child Rights Advocacy Centres in Nairobi, Kenya

Abstract

The purpose of this article was to determine the efficacy of telephone counselling on the psychosocial wellbeing of survivors of child sexual abuse (CSA) in selected Child Rights Advocacy Centres (CRACs) in Nairobi, Kenya. Although telephone counselling is provided as part of psychosocial support services for survivors of CSA, empirical evidence regarding its efficacy in improving survivors’ psychosocial wellbeing remains limited. The study employed a descriptive survey research design, and purposive sampling was used to select 172 respondents comprising 78 survivors of CSA, 78 parents or caregivers, and 16 counsellors. Data were collected using validated researcher-developed questionnaires. The hypothesis was tested using simple regression analysis at a .05 level of significance. Telephone counselling demonstrated a significant effect (F (1,146) = 44.494, p < .001) on the psychosocial wellbeing of survivors, and the null hypothesis was consequently rejected. Participants reported positive experiences with telephone counselling, indicating that the intervention generally addressed survivors' psychosocial needs. While these findings offer valuable insights for programme design at the participating centres, broader application to other contexts should be made with caution. The study recommends the development of trust-building and safety-enhancing strategies within telephone counselling services.