Understanding law enforcement interventions for the response to and prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse against children and women in Ghana: Findings from a realist review

Abstract

Sexual exploitation and abuse of children and women is an increasing public health concern in Ghana. Law enforcement interventions play a key role in preventing and respond to this form of violence. However, there is a lack of evidence about how, why, for whom, under what context law enforcement interventions work to prevent and respond to sexual exploitation and abuse of children and women in a Ghanian context. To address this evidence gap, a realist review was conducted.

A workshop with 20 participants from various institutions involved in law enforcement interventions focusing on sexual exploitation and abuse of children and women prevention and response was conducted to develop an initial program theory. A comprehensive literature search in seven databases from January 1st, 2011 to January 31st, 2023 was conducted to test and refine the initial program theory. The initial Context-Mechanism-Outcome (CMO) configurations were consolidated through triangulation, and thematic analysis was conducted to identify key contextual, mechanism, and outcome factors, which were then integrated into the final program theory.

Thirteen studies were included to refine the initial program theory, including four CMO configurations: coordination and planning, law enforcement protocols, proactive investigations, and awareness raising. The review provides insights into mechanisms guiding law enforcement interventions, emphasizing their role in both reacting to and addressing the root causes of sexual exploitation and abuse of children and women.