Social media driven child abuse: a case study of Mbare

Abstract

This qualitative study examines the intersection of social media and child abuse in Mbare, a high-density urban suburb of Harare, Zimbabwe. Guided by Systems Theory and social constructivism, the research employed a case study design with semi-structured in-depth interviews and focus group discussions involving 25 participants, including children aged 10–18 years, caregivers, teachers, social workers, community health workers, law enforcement officers, and community leaders. The study addressed three objectives: to examine the forms of social media-driven child abuse prevalent in Mbare; to analyze the implications of such abuse on children's wellbeing; and to propose social work-related interventions. Findings revealed that cyberbullying, online grooming and sexual exploitation, exposure to pornographic content, sextortion, and doxing are prevalent forms of abuse affecting children through platforms such as WhatsApp, Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram. The study documented severe psychosocial consequences including depression, anxiety, suicidal ideation, social withdrawal, and significant educational disruption manifesting as declining academic performance, school avoidance, and disengagement. Structural vulnerabilities including poverty, limited parental digital literacy, weak institutional responses, and inadequate legal frameworks were identified as key enablers of children's online victimization. The research recommends multi-level social work interventions encompassing community-based digital literacy programs, strengthened counselling and psychosocial support services, legal and policy reform, school-based child protection initiatives, and enhanced platform accountability. The study contributes context-specific evidence to the growing body of literature on digital child protection in sub-Saharan Africa and underscores the urgency of integrating digital safety into mainstream social work practice, policy, and education in Zimbabwe.