What you should know about Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation

The Filipino Child is a person (girl or boy) who is: (1) below eighteen (18) years of age or (2) over eighteen (18) but is unable to fully take care of or protect her or himself from abuse, neglect, cruelty, exploitation, all other forms of degrading and or dehumanizing treatment be it psychological or physical, and discrimination because of a physical or mental disability or condition. [Republic Act 7610]

Child Sexual Abuse is a form of child abuse that refers to any act on a child by an adult, older person or anyone in a position of power or control over the child for the sexual stimulation or gratification of the adult or the other person. Among others, these actions include, an adult indecently exposes their genitalia to a child, asks or pressures a child to engage in sexual activities, displays pornography to a child, or uses a child to produce child pornography.

Sexual Exploitation is the participation by a person in prostitution or the production of pornographic materials as a result of being subjected to a threat, deception, coercion, and abduction, and force, abuse of authority, debt bondage, and fraud or through abuse of a victim’s vulnerability. Child Pornography is any representation, whether visual, audio or written combination thereof, by electronic, mechanical, digital, optical, magnetic or any other means, of a child engaged or involved in real or simulated explicit sexual activities. (RA 9775)

Sexual abuse, physical and psychological violence, and sexual harassment are forms of violence against children which occur in all settings. These happen in: homes and families; schools and educational settings; care and justice institutions; places of work; community; and, cyberspace. [UN Study on Violence Against Children]

Child Sexual Abuse is one of the profound violations of the rights of children. While it is the most underreported form of abuse due to its sensitive nature, cases of sexual abuse of girls and boys continue to be noted. From 2004 to 2008, DSWD served a total of 13,658 girls and boys due to this. While in the same period, 1,024 girls and boys were victims of sexual exploitation.

Among the 2007-2008 cases of girls served by an NGO, it was noted that, 20 or 36% involved more than one male figure in the nuclear and extended family as abusers; 30 cases involved more than one girl victim among the female siblings or relatives; and, Report took place only when an older sister saw the abuse already happening to a younger sibling.

The 15 cases filed in court by the PNP – Women and Children Protection Center since January to May 2008 revealed that sexual abuse of children happen not only at home but in areas within the community, farm, and workplaces, in school grounds and in places of worship all over the country