CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE
IS PREVENTABLE
THE CHALLENGE
1 in 5 girls and 1 in 7 boys
experience sexual violence during childhood, globally
In Tanzania, around 1 in 12 girls and 1 in 30 boys experience sexual violence before the age of 18.
Parents can protect their children when they get the right support. But in-person parenting programmes are expensive and reach only a fraction of those who need them. ParentApp was built to close that gap.
ABOUT PARENTAPP
Proven parenting support at scale
ParentApp is a low-cost, blended digital parenting programme for caregivers. ParentApp for Teens supports parents of adolescents aged 10 to 17 and was co-developed with parents and teens across Africa.
It draws on insights from pioneering sexual violence prevention initiatives, including No Means No Worldwide and the Brave Movement, and brings them into a parenting framework.
Free and open-source
Governments and partners can adapt, own and sustain it for their populations.
Offline-first
Works where data is costly and connections are unreliable — built for real-world conditions.
Built for systems
Designed to be embedded in public health and social protection services at national scale.
HOW IT WORKS
Technology with a human touch
Meet
Families start with an introductory in-person group session led by a local community facilitator.
Learn
Caregivers work through 12 modules on an offline-first mobile app, building skills to strengthen relationships and keep teens safe.
Connect
WhatsApp support groups, run by local community facilitators, keep families motivated and connected throughout.
THE TRIAL
Design
Cluster-randomised controlled trial, with investigators and statisticians masked to allocation
Setting
80 urban and rural sub-wards in Mwanza, Tanzania
Participants
2,396 adolescents aged 10 to 17 (average age 13) and 2,396 caregivers
Comparison
Active control: WASHApp, a water, sanitation and hygiene programme
Follow-up
14 months
Led by
University of Oxford, University of Cape Town, Tanzania’s National Institute for Medical Research, and Parenting for Lifelong Health
Published
Cluver et al., 2026, The Lancet [link TBC] · Registration: OSF.IO/T9FXZ
What the trial found
Fourteen months after the programme, girls in communities receiving ParentApp reported 67% less sexual violence than girls in comparison communities. Families also reported less physical and emotional maltreatment and better wellbeing across the board.
67%
reduction in sexual violence against girls
54%
reduction in sexual exploitation of girls
51%
increase in positive parent-child relationships
~US$6
per family at scale, vs US$120 in person
~US$16
in health savings per US$1 invested
For girls
- 67% reduction in past-year sexual violence victimisation
- 54% reduction in past-month sexual exploitation
- 51% increase in past-month positive parent-child relationships
For boys and girls
- Both reported less exposure to situations that put them at risk of sexual violence
- The trial did not find a statistically significant reduction in sexual violence or exploitation among boys
For families
- Less physical and emotional child maltreatment
- Better parenting practices, family communication and conflict resolution
- Improved caregiver and child mental health
- Stronger financial coping and social support
- Lower intimate partner violence victimisation among female caregivers
OUR IMPACT
22 Randomised Control Trials. Real Families. Real Results.
reduction in physical abuse against children
South Africa | Cluver et al., 2018
less sexual violence against adolescent girls
Tanzania | Cluver et al., 2026
decrease in caregiver depression, anxiety & stress
Thailand | Gardner et al., in submission
decrease in emotional abuse against children
Philippines | Lachman et al., 2021
With thanks to our funders
