Baguio City, February 10, 2005 -The Department of Social Welfare and Development – Cordillera Administrative Region is urging all sectors to actively join in the war to rid our society of children sexual offenders by supporting on-going efforts. This is in line with the National Awareness Week for the Prevention of Sexual Abuse and Exploitation that is observed every February 6-12. This year’s theme – MAGKAISA! Labanan ang pang-aabusong sekswal sa mga bata!”
In a letter, received by DSWD-CAR last Febraury 1, 2005, the Council for the Welfare of Children (CWC) was asking that the following core messages be disseminated to the public through the different government line agencies and stakeholders: (1) educate every child on sex and sexuality as well as what to dot when she or he is in danger of being sexually abused, (2) capacitate every family through information about sexual abuse and what to do when a child-particularly in their family- is in danger of being sexually abused, (3) challenge all community members to be “watchdogs” for each child in their neighborhood and be vigilant to the potential situations that may pose a threat to a child in the area, (4) organize groups that will act in the cases of abuse and exploitation through information, education and communication activities and to especially involve the parents.
The social welfare department is also supporting the call that all local government units be child-friendly by strengthening their local child protection councils and to concretely allocate funds to effectively respond to potential situations that may pose grave danger to children.
SEXUAL ABUSE
Sexual abuse can be defined as any experience during childhood or adolescence which involves inappropriate sexual attention by another person, usually an adult, but sometimes an older child, teenager, or even a same-aged playmate. This attention might involve sexualized language, sexual touching, being forced to perform manual or oral sex on another person, oral, vaginal, or anal penetration, exposure to sexual behavior or to pornography. The behavior may be forced, coerced, or even willingly engaged in by the survivor, but is understood as abusive because a child cannot truly give free consent. Any activity that a person feels violates her or his boundaries may fall within the realm of sexual abuse. An estimated 17% to 22% of children experience some kind of sexual abuse.
Most people sexually abused as children experience some difficulties, as adults, related to the abuse. Problems can range from the absence of memories for a period of childhood, disinterest or excessive interest in sexual feeling or activities, fear of dating or close relationships, feelings of shame about the self, as though there is something inherently wrong or defective in the self, low self-esteem, body image distortions, dissociative experiences, depression, eating disorders, anxiety disorders, engagement in self-inflicted violence, and symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, such as flashbacks, hypervigilance, agitation, and severe trouble sleeping. A person may keep her or his experience of being sexually abused a secret, often ashamed and afraid to share this part of the self and the past with others.
TREATMENTS AND THERAPIES
Problems and symptoms associated with sexual abuse are responsive to many kinds of treatment, including individual and group counseling, and sometimes may be augmented by psychotropic medications to provide relief from intrusive symptoms. A central part of the healing for many survivors is found in a support group of other survivors where there is strength, comfort, and hope in hearing the stories of others who share this pain, and in being heard by those who empathize from their own personal experiences. Therapy is most often long-term, though short-term counseling can be a place to start to prepare for further therapy, to shore up coping resources to get through a difficult time, or in the brief transition phase of a referral process. These psychotherapeutic resources are available through the City/Municipal Social Welfare and Development Offices or non-government organizations.
For more information on how to help prevent sexual abuse and explotation not in children but also in other vulnerable sectors of our society please contact the DSWD-CAR at 40 North Drive, Baguio City with telephone numbers (074) 442-7917, 442-8619 and through the Crisis Intervention Unit- a 24 hour center at (074) 444-3209. (actanicala)
