ABSTRACT
Background- Sexual abuse and exploitation of male children is one of the emerging social problems affecting the physical; social and psychological wellbeing of children in Addis Ababa. The magnitude of the problem seems much worse among the street boys because of their precarious living conditions. However; very little is known about the problem so far and it is apparently one of the least researched issue in the country. Objectives- This paper explores the extent of the problem and reasons that expose children to sexual abuse around Merkato area; Addis Ababa. Methods- The study employed a combination of quantitative (small scale survey) and qualitative methodology (indepth interviews; focus group discussions (FGDs) and case history interviews) involving a total of 221 children and key informants selected using convenient and snowball sampling.Findings- Quantitative data revealed that about 28.6of male street children had been abused. Physical and mental immaturity of the children; secrecy and lack of awareness; use and abuse of drugs; the nature of street life; exposure to pornographic films and limited legal enforcement were found to be major reasons which predispose street boys to the risk of sexual abuse. Conclusions- Sexual abuse against male children around Merkato area is rampant; but received less or no attention from concerned governmental and non-governmental organizations. Using child rights framework; the study suggested various preventive; protective and rehabilitative measures that should be taken to address the problem