Actualidad
By Paula Iudica
“In the upside down world they teach us to endure reality instead of changing it, to forget the past instead of listening to it, and to accept the future instead of imagining it. At school, impotence, amnesia and resignation classes are compulsory ”.
From the book "Patas up, the school of the world upside down" by Eduardo Galeano.
There is no nice or subtle way to talk about this topic. We wish it didn't exist, but it's time to open your eyes. The only thing we do by denying it is to help this continue to happen. Childhood Sexual Abuse exists. It is one of the many forms of abuse that girls, boys and adolescents in the world suffer every day and it is more frequent than we think. Understanding and accepting that this happens is the first step we must take. The figure from the World Health Organization (WHO) is alarming: in the world, 1 in 5 girls and 1 in 13 boys can be victims of sexual abuse. In half of the cases the aggressors live with the victims and in 3/4 they are direct relatives (UNICEF Argentina 2017). In the campaign "Let's talk about ASI (Child Sexual Abuse)" carried out by UNICEF and the Ministry of Justice in 2016, it was detected that in 75% of calls for Child Sexual Abuse, a relative was reported, and that in 40% of those cases, the perpetrator was the father. This means that in most cases the abuser is the one who must take care of that girl or boy, provide them with education, affection and support.
How can it be? IS.
How can anyone do something so horrible? CAN.
"I can not believe it". BELIEVE IT.
It is painful to face this reality. Many of us find it difficult to accept it, but we have the capacity and responsibility to do so.
Very few times it is reported: it is estimated that out of every 1000 cases of abuse, only 100 are reported. Children find it difficult to talk about what is happening to them: abusers threaten and manipulate them to keep it a secret, telling them, for example, that if they speak, the family will disintegrate, that they will send them to jail, that if he speaks, he will commit suicide, that they will stop loving them, that he will not be able to see his mother anymore, or that they will kill or injure his mother or siblings. Other times, children do not know what to say or how to express it because of their young age, or because they are embarrassed. They feel guilty. It is like being in Galeano's world upside down: the victim feels guilt, shame, responsibility to preserve the family, carries the pain and difficulties to move on with his life, and for the rest of his life, and the perpetrator goes unpunished, something that is accentuated by institutions that, instead of protecting, revictimize the victims themselves and those who try to protect them (in general, mothers).
Child Sexual Abuse is a social problem, and not only of the victim and her family. We must understand and commit. The children who are going through these situations depend on us adults being attentive to the signs and taking action. Intrafamily Child Sexual Abuse occurs throughout the world, in all communities, in all social strata. Children who are abused will neither forget what happened nor will they recover alone. Let's not remain silent: if you know or suspect that a girl, boy or adolescent in your environment is or has been a victim of sexual abuse, seek advice from a specialist. Her physical and mental integrity is being violated. Caring for them is everyone's responsibility.
Actualidad
By Paula Iudica
“In the upside down world they teach us to endure reality instead of changing it, to forget the past instead of listening to it, and to accept the future instead of imagining it. At school, impotence, amnesia and resignation classes are compulsory ”.
From the book "Patas up, the school of the world upside down" by Eduardo Galeano.
There is no nice or subtle way to talk about this topic. We wish it didn't exist, but it's time to open your eyes. The only thing we do by denying it is to help this continue to happen. Childhood Sexual Abuse exists. It is one of the many forms of abuse that girls, boys and adolescents in the world suffer every day and it is more frequent than we think. Understanding and accepting that this happens is the first step we must take. The figure from the World Health Organization (WHO) is alarming: in the world, 1 in 5 girls and 1 in 13 boys can be victims of sexual abuse. In half of the cases the aggressors live with the victims and in 3/4 they are direct relatives (UNICEF Argentina 2017). In the campaign "Let's talk about ASI (Child Sexual Abuse)" carried out by UNICEF and the Ministry of Justice in 2016, it was detected that in 75% of calls for Child Sexual Abuse, a relative was reported, and that in 40% of those cases, the perpetrator was the father. This means that in most cases the abuser is the one who must take care of that girl or boy, provide them with education, affection and support.
How can it be? IS.
How can anyone do something so horrible? CAN.
"I can not believe it". BELIEVE IT.
It is painful to face this reality. Many of us find it difficult to accept it, but we have the capacity and responsibility to do so.
Very few times it is reported: it is estimated that out of every 1000 cases of abuse, only 100 are reported. Children find it difficult to talk about what is happening to them: abusers threaten and manipulate them to keep it a secret, telling them, for example, that if they speak, the family will disintegrate, that they will send them to jail, that if he speaks, he will commit suicide, that they will stop loving them, that he will not be able to see his mother anymore, or that they will kill or injure his mother or siblings. Other times, children do not know what to say or how to express it because of their young age, or because they are embarrassed. They feel guilty. It is like being in Galeano's world upside down: the victim feels guilt, shame, responsibility to preserve the family, carries the pain and difficulties to move on with his life, and for the rest of his life, and the perpetrator goes unpunished, something that is accentuated by institutions that, instead of protecting, revictimize the victims themselves and those who try to protect them (in general, mothers).
Child Sexual Abuse is a social problem, and not only of the victim and her family. We must understand and commit. The children who are going through these situations depend on us adults being attentive to the signs and taking action. Intrafamily Child Sexual Abuse occurs throughout the world, in all communities, in all social strata. Children who are abused will neither forget what happened nor will they recover alone. Let's not remain silent: if you know or suspect that a girl, boy or adolescent in your environment is or has been a victim of sexual abuse, seek advice from a specialist. Her physical and mental integrity is being violated. Caring for them is everyone's responsibility.