CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE
RECENTLY in Zambia, a young girl-child was abducted from her home and kept in an unfinished house in a secluded spot. She was repeatedly sexually violated.
She was, eventually, rescued and restored to her family. The story, though related in a few words has large implications. Firstly, it encourages future perpetrators to take inspiration from relatively easy abduction.
The victim’s older sister, busy watching television failed to supervise her younger sister. The young one moved out of the house and thus began her ordeal.
Secondly, delayed response in rescue promotes a lack of confidence amongst the general populace. It produces an environment of constant anxiety and a lack of faith in public security.
The news was highlighted for just a single day. The fact that this incident was in focus only for a few hours on social media platforms underlines the lack of empathy.
The law would take its due course and bring justice for the violated child. However, in the meantime, an appropriate level of instant punishment ought to be implemented for such odious crimes.
The lengthy procedures of law and justice force many seekers/victims to abandon the path of retribution.
It is common for such incidents of violence to go unreported due to the trauma of violence mingled with known tardy institutional responses. Nonetheless, this desired course of action might not be practically plausible.
The sexual abuse began in my life at the age of four. Seems like I was always fighting someone off and trying to protect my little sister or my cousins.
I didn’t understand why sex was this thing for men. It was like this evil - this terrible thing. The connection between sexual abuse and sexual exploitation can depend on how children, and the systems surrounding them, respond to their trauma.
As from the previous discussion, it could be noted that a severe form of punishment serves as a deterrent. The dissemination of relevant information regarding offence and penalty by the combined authorities engaged in tackling sexual violence goes a long way in creating faith in communities.
When a girl’s sexual abuse is ignored or locked away by a system, how can she begin to heal?
A majority of sexual abuse is preventable, but we can’t put the responsibility on children to protect themselves. We need to educate adults on how to recognise the signs of sexual abuse, how to react responsibly if they see them, and - most importantly - how they can take concrete steps to prevent it from happening in the first place.
In the past, a child with suspected abuse sometimes had to talk to 11-15 people - doctors, child protective services, and law enforcement.
That can be very traumatic. The people trying to help weren’t talking to each other.
To effectively protect children from sexual exploitation, social service systems can implement universal screening tools. These tools serve as a proactive measure to identify children who may be vulnerable to or already experiencing sexual exploitation.
By utilising such screening mechanisms, social service agencies can intervene early and provide the necessary support and resources to help safeguard children from harm.
Validate the trauma of the victim, refrain from shaming, abstain from the blame game, enhance the sensitivity quotient, offer tangible trauma responses, and finally work towards creating a better environment in terms of law and security. Every child, every woman, and every man must be able to walk on roads without the unnatural fear of harm.