2007 02: Beware of child sexual abuse, says group

The Star online. News. South & East. Wednesday February 14, 2007

By PERCY D'CRUZ

MALACCA: Child sexual abuse can happen to anyone, even your own child. An alarming statement but certainly holding true of the present time, says Penang’s Women’s Centre for Change (WCC).

Official updated statistics released through a WCC pamphlet reveal that child sex abuse makes up 25.5% of the total number of child abuse cases reported with approximately 80% of the victims being girls and 14% boys.

Compounded by these statistics is the fact that police-compiled figures note that 67.5% of incest victims are below 16 years of age.

In a joint effort to further enlighten the prevalence of child sexual abuse in community and ways of combat, Malacca’s Women In Action (WIN) and Penang’s WCC with funding from the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry recently organised a seminar and workshop entitled “Child and sexual abuse”.

Aimed specifically at teachers from private and government agency-based kindergartens as well as Bachelor of Education students, a 100-strong attendance was recorded for the full-day seminar and workshop held at the Straits Meridian Hotel.

According to WIN chairperson Rachel Samuel, the principal aim of the seminar was to enlighten kindergarten teachers and minders on child sexual abuse in the community and equip relevant personnel with knowledge, insights, expertise and procedures on how they could play their part in instilling a sense of sexual safety among the young ones.

During the workshop sessions, teachers were given exercises in the mechanics of how to impart lessons on personal safety to children. The module was specially designed to focus on six-year-olds as they would be moving on to primary schools.

Participants were also briefed on the need for children to be aware and clearly understand that the private parts of their bodies cannot be touched by anyone else except for the purpose of cleansing or medical treatment. Also, children need to know that they cannot touch the private parts of their counterparts.

The modules presented were prepared by WCC with the seminar proceedings and dialogues conducted by the Penang-based non-governmental organisation led by Dr Prema Devaraj.

A follow-up on the just-concluded programme will be organised in late April and already a good number of participants have confirmed their participation.