Fight against child abuse

This may be why, in recent days, there have been reports of children being molested at a children’s home; of primary and secondary school students being exposed to pornography by adults; and an announcement by the Education Minister that comprehensive sex education will be introduced to primary schools.

None of this necessarily means that cases of child abuse are on the rise. The sexual abuse of young persons has always been the most hidden of crimes. But it could be that the sex-related murders of two infants have so shocked the nation that ordinary people are now willing to speak out, whereas before they might have excused their inaction as mere suspicion or someone else’s problem.

Indeed, the difficulty in exposing and treating with this issue is reflected in the response of officials for the Care and Respect for Youth (CRY) foundation, where, according to the police, one boy had been buggered and three girls sexually assaulted. These spokespersons said they were “surprised and upset” at the police action; declared that in the 14 years of the organisation’s existence no complaints of abuse had ever been made; and expressed “disappointment” at how “untidy” the home was. The implication that no complaint equals no abuse must be dismissed for the self-serving pap it clearly is. And CRY should clarify what it is upset about: the police action in removing these children or the damage done to its reputation? If it is the latter, perhaps they imagine that sweeping up the untidy home will clean away all sins.

So there is a significant challenge ahead in stemming the incidents of child abuse which, even in the absence of hard statistics, are clearly too prevalent in our society. The Government has a major responsibility to treat with this matter. It has already begun announcing plans to decentralise social services and to revisit child-related legislation. But decentralisation is useless unless social workers are given more autonomy and power; and legislation is mere paper unless supported by efficient systems and infrastructure. Age-appropriate sex education for pre-pubescent children and teenagers will help young persons resist and expose child abusers, as well as prepare them for responsible sexual behaviour when they get older; yet resistance to this measure will no doubt come from conservative religious organisations and parents themselves.

More than all this, however, the Government and other authorities must be willing to take hard action. Informal polls have suggested that the public favours investigations of children’s homes, both State — and privately-run. There have been horror stories coming out of these homes for years now, but no action has ever been taken. This must change, not only because it is more likely that child abuse is occurring in these places, but also because such investigations will send a strong message that abusing children is unacceptable and intolerable.

Improved systems and more conscience on the part of ordinary citizens are certainly necessary if the abuse of children is to be reduced. But what is needed more than anything else is the harsh light of exposure. Child abuse is an act that thrives in secrecy. Creating a culture of openness to sexual matters is therefore the most effective weapon against this scourge.