CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE

The silent epidemic destroying our children Presented by

Child Sexual Abuse (CSA) is everyones problem

Think
You probably know someone who has experienced abuse Your family may have had to deal with a sexual abuse problem sometime in the past You may have personally experienced sexual abuse as a child

Do you know what victims undergo as a result of abuse?

Dramatic mood swings, erratic behavior, and even severe conduct disorders; Distrust of adults and difficulty in experiencing normal sexual relationships; Increase in the risk of substance abuse, sexually transmitted diseases, and suicidal behavior (Crowell and Burgess, 1996); Possibility of a cycle of abuse, meaning victims expose future generations to CSAs debilitating effects
excerpt from a commentary by Dr. James Mercys, a researcher with the Center for Disease Control and Prevention: Mercy, J. A. (1999). Having New Eyes: Viewing Child Sexual Abuse as a Public Health Problem. Sexual Abuse: A Journal of Research and Treatment, 11(4), 317-321.

Yet, there are still who are un aware of this realitiessome would say shes still young, she will forget about it its her dad anyway, she will learn to forgive its too scandalous, lets keep it a secret she was able to move on, so I guess shes ok.

Children who keep sexual abuse a secret suffer greater psychic distress than victims who open up and receive assistance and support. Source: Finkelhor & Browne, 1986.

In the Philippines
According to the DSWD, there are 5448 reported cases of child abuse for only the 1st half of 2005
Type of Child Abuse Numbers

The top crime against children in our country SEXUAL ABUSE!

Sexually Abused Sexually Exploited

Physically abused Neglected Abandoned Children in Situations of Armed Conflict Victims of Child Labor Victims of Child Trafficking Victims of Illegal Recruitment

1936 172
616 1,484 662 330 151 81 16

Total reported child abuse cases

5, 448

The DSWD report doesnt represent the real number of cases

80% of perpetrators of sexual abuse direct family members or known to the child
Fr. Shay Cullen,Child abuse is like a ticking bomb, (Olongapo: The Universe, October 2002)

More than 50% of child abuse cases occur at night inside their homes
UNICEF, Women in Developmental-Inter-Agency Committee, (U.P. Center for Womens Studies Foundation: Breaking the Silence, 2001)

The closer the childs relationship is to the perpetrator abuse will continue over a long period of time
Ricardo Zarco, Human Rights and the causes of poverty in the Philippines, (DSWD: Country Report, 2001)

1 out of 3 Filipino children experiences some form of sexual abuse before the age of 14

Child Sexual Abuse destroys childhood!

Despite the seemingly daunting task, there is HOPE

YOU have what it takes to protect children from abusefrom the hands of those who take advantage of their vulnerability, innocence, and need for love and attention

HOPE worldwide Philippines launches a campaign to teach 1 million children about personal safety The scope of personal safety training: 1. The basic rights of a child; 2. Distinguishing good touch from bad touch; 3. Three steps in resisting abuse: Say no, Run, and Tell someone

Sample material used for Teaching kids about personal safety

Visit a designated community

How will HOPE worldwide make this happen? Meet with lecturers to discuss
Hold three training groups any hint of disclosure among children. Make proper referrals.

Children
- Teach the rights of a child - Teach 8 personal rules of safety -Teach about disclosure - Distribute activity leaflets to heighten awareness -Have discussion groups to process learning

Parents
- Protecting our children from abuse - Psychological effects of abuse - Identifying signs of abuse in children - Handling disclosures from children - Laws that protect the children - Agencies that can help

Community leaders
-Tips for responding to children victims of abuse -Agencies to tap in case of child abuse -Proper filing of evidences and cases against offenders -Laws that protect children

How can you help?

Here are some ideas we have come up with: Host a dinner, party, or any social activity among your friends. Show them the audio visual materials about the programs of HOPE worldwide Philippines, which we will send to you. Ask them to give monetary donations to help finance our projects for the children; Support the empowerment of 1 million children by sponsoring children for personal training. A $100 donation will register 1000 children for the said training; Send donations in kind to our office address in Makati: Unit 261 Cityland 9, Dela Rosa Street, Makati City, Philippines

Is $100 too much to give?

Consider the economic cost of child sexual Abuse (CSA)
It costs $900 to rehabilitate 1 victim of CSA for a period of 6 months

It takes only $100 to protect 1000 children from CSA through personal safety training!

PREVENTION IS BETTER THAN CURE!

Let us join hands to protect the children from abuse!

We welcome suggestions!
Please e-mail suggestions to any of the following e-mail addresses: rtgolimlim723@yahoo.com, ingridc_le@yahoo.com, rmm_727@yahoo.com, jollyako@yahoo.com

Monetary donations may be sent to:

All monetary donations may be wire transferred to our bank account: HOPE worldwide, Inc. Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation RCBC Plaza 6819 Ayala Avenue corner Sen. Gil Puyat Avenue, Makati City, Philippines. USD SA 8000 085 76-7