Globally, the prevalence of CSA among girls is estimated to be 19.7% [1]. As compared to Europe and Africa (9.2 and 10.1%), the frequency of CSA in Asia and Delhi (23.9 and 27%) was higher [2, 3]. According to the international and regional legal framework, a child is defined as any individual who is less than the age of 18, unless the majority age is earlier under the applicable law [4]. Child sexual abuse involves using children for an adult's sexual enjoyment, is a crime against children, and is arguably one of the least recognized and least detected types of child abuse in the world [5].

Contact and non-contact child sexual abuse are the two main categories that are usually identified. Abuse of contacts includes actions involving penetration (such as rape and oral sex). Non-contact activities include forcing or threatening children to view or create pornographic material, watching sexual activity, encouraging children to act or behave inappropriately sexually, and grooming a child in order to abuse them and children who were disabled or in residential care were at high risk. Children with mental or intellectual disabilities are more at risk than those with other disabilities when it comes to disabilities [6]. People of all ages and genders experience sexual assault in developing countries, but children and adolescents are the most common victims, and these incidents frequently have major repercussions [7, 8].

Around the world, one in twenty teenage girls experienced compulsion when they had their first sexual encounter. When sexual assault (rape) occurs on or near school property, there may occasionally be more overt aggression involved [1]. In Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), child sexual abuse is a common problem. Victims have been known to be sexually abused by family members, neighbors, and other acquaintances. A local poll on child sexual abuse prevalence found that 34.4% of female respondents had been sexually abused as children [2]. According to research among female students in southern Nigeria, 26% [9], one of the highest incidences of sexual assault worldwide occurs in South Africa, where teenage girls between the ages of 12 and 17 are especially vulnerable (39%) [10]

In the context of Ethiopian high schools, studies were done on the magnitude of CSA in Butajira, which was 32.8% [11], in Gandhi Memorial Hospital in Addis Ababa, which was 42.7% [12], in Bahir Dar, which was 37.3% [13], and in Dire Dawa, which was 48.9% [7]. According to a WHO report, in many underdeveloped nations, including Ethiopia, CSA is the least recorded form of violence, with barely one out of ten instances being reported [14].

Child sexual abuse left the victim with feelings of fear, blame, fury, guilt, and/or disbelief, all common psychological responses among child sexual abuse victims. As a result, they suffer frequently from the post-traumatic syndrome, including the burden of STDs, HIV/AIDS, unsafe abortion, unwanted pregnancy, tears, and bleeding [15]. An estimated 74 million unwanted pregnancies occur worldwide each year, which results in 25 million unsafe abortions and 47,000 maternal deaths annually [16]. However, about 2.9 million American women (2.4%) become pregnant as a result of rape at some point in their lives [17]. A comprehensive solution is necessary to address the complex societal problem of CSA. Poor governance, culture, weak rule of law, unemployment, social and gender norms, gender inequality, low income, restricted educational opportunities, and the absence of one or both parents are all highly associated with sexual abuse [2, 9].

Additionally, few studies have shown long-term negative impacts on individuals. Mental health problems in childhood are shown to have a much greater impact on long-run economic outcomes when compared to physical health problems [18].

In particular, Goal 16.2 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) places a strong emphasis on the rights and well-being of children; the target states decreasing the risk of violence against children [19]. This is a rare chance to realize every child's right to live in a world free from violence and fear [20]. The Ethiopian government has established plans to provide comprehensive sexual and reproductive health in line with the SDG 2030 objective. In the Health Sector Transformation Plan II, information, counseling, and services are recognized as critical tactics to enhance adolescent and youth health [21]. This helps to reduce child physical injury and child sexual abuse by 70% [22]. Additionally, school-based sex education is essential for young people's sexual health and well-being. According to the findings of three decades of research, sex education in primary schools has the ability to significantly reduce child sexual abuse in addition to preventing pregnancy and STIs [23].

In 1991, Ethiopia ratified the UNCRC. Since then, the government has undertaken a wide range of initiatives to guarantee the protection and advancement of children's rights and well-being. According to the 2004 Ethiopian amended law (Article 623(2)(a)/2004), rape or other abuse of a girl between the ages of 13 and 18 by a member of the opposite sex constitutes an aggravating circumstance that is punishable by up to 20 years in jail.

Approximately 48% of Ethiopia's population is comprised of adolescents, who require special care during childhood. Thus, schoolgirls between the ages of 10 and 19 are considerably more vulnerable to sexual abuse, child trafficking, and other associated issues than adults in Ethiopia [24]. This means child sexual abuse continues to be a serious public health problem. Furthermore, it is common for underreporting; little study has been done on the magnitude of CSA among high school students in the study area, which is already old. Therefore, studying child sexual abuse is crucial to providing an evidence-based intervention, and thus, this study was conducted to assess the magnitude and associated factors of child sexual abuse (CSA) among female high school students in Arba Minch Zuria Woreda in 2023.