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Background The detrimental impact of child maltreatment on children and adolescents' academic achievement and later socioeconomic wellbeing is well known. However, it is still unclear (1) whether maltreatment is actually linked to youth's long- and short-term memory deficits and (2) whether potential impairments are due to maltreatment per se or related psychopathology. Objective Based on the Attentional Control Theory, we investigated a mediational model in which maltreatment would be related to psychopathology (internalizing symptoms, posttraumatic stress symptoms, posttraumatic cognitions), which would in turn be related to impaired memory functioning. Participants and setting We drew on a sample of 155 Burundian refugee youth (aged 11 to 15) currently living in refugee camps in Tanzania and at high risk of experiencing ongoing maltreatment by parents. Methods Youth reported on their experiences of maltreatment and psychopathology in structured clinical interviews and completed visuospatial memory tasks involving a short-term and a working memory component (Corsi Block Tapping Test) and delayed recall from long-term memory (Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure). Results Structural equation modeling showed that psychopathology mediated the association between increased maltreatment and reduced working memory capacity (β = −0.07, p = .02), with a trend towards mediation for short-term memory (β = −0.05, p = .06). Higher levels of maltreatment, but not psychopathology, were directly linked to long-term memory deficits (β = −0.20, p = .02). Conclusions Preventive efforts targeting maltreatment and interventions focusing on related psychopathology are needed to counter memory deficits and their potential negative implications for academic and socioeconomic outcomes.

Background Sexual violence against minors is a global phenomenon with wide-ranging negative consequences. Global reports suggest that it is a particularly serious issue in East African countries, although research on prevalence and characteristics of violence in these countries is scarce. Objective The aim of this study was to assess sexual violence and its circumstances among Tanzanian and Ugandan adolescents. Participants and setting Two representative samples of secondary school students aged 12–17 from Tanzania and Uganda (N = 1402) were included in this study. Methods Data assessed using standardized questionnaires were analyzed to determine prevalence, characteristics, and contributing factors of sexual violence among youth. Results We found high levels of sexual violence (27.2 %) exceeding global average estimates of under 20 %. Significantly more sexual violence experiences were reported by boys (29.9 %) than girls (24.6 %) and by older compared to younger adolescents (30.2 % vs. 19.6 %). Peers were the most frequent perpetrator group, named by 47.6 % of those reporting abuse. Several potential contributing factors for victimization were identified, such as rural living area, external financial support, and being in a romantic relationship. Conclusions Sexual violence is a relevant issue among East African adolescents that occurs in a variety of settings but appears to be most prevalent between peers. Comprehensive sexual education approaches may help to improve the protection of adolescents and to enhance autonomous sexual development.