adminOn 1 November, the Ministry of Women Affairs, Gender and Community Development spearheaded a campaign in Harare against rape and sexual abuse of children. Indeed children have for a long time been exposed to untold suffering at the hands of adults who have no respect for human rights and children’s rights. Adults take advantage of the children’s vulnerability to “fulfil” their sexual desires but as one young teenage said at the campaign, if virginity is lost, it is lost forever.
The National Baseline Survey on Life Experiences of Adolescents Report (2011) conducted by ZimStat assists society to know the place, time of the day and the circumstances surrounding the sexual abuse of children. It is a must-read for everyone. As parents, such factors will help
in understanding factors that expose children to the risk of abuse as well as to come up with some preventive measures.
According to the survey, for males and females aged 13-17 years, 38 percent of the males and 25 percent of the females experienced the first sexual violence in their homes. On the other hand, 36 percent of the females and 10 percent of the males experienced the first sexual violence at the house of the perpetrator.
If children experience their first sexual violence at home then it means that the perpetrators are people usually known to the children such as uncles, grandparents, brothers, sisters, aunts, housemaids, parents, tenants or neighbours.
Of the males and females aged 13-17 years interviewed in the National Baseline Survey (2011), 42 percent and 41, percent respectively pointed out that their first incident of sexual abuse occurred when they were 14-15 years. About 20 percent of females and males reported that their first sexual violence encounter took place when they were aged 16-17 years.
It is important to note that these cases for both sexes involve touching of genitals. According to the book Public and Private Families, in some instances where men had been touched by men or boys, a number have reported oral sex and anal sex. For women who had been touched by men this involved both vaginal and oral sex.
It is surprising to note that 16 percent of women interviewed implicated their fathers or brothers. The trend remained the same for pre-school children or school children who were sexually abused by their teachers.
It is estimated that every second a child is being sexually abused somewhere worldwide. For parents who do not observe their children’s social and emotional tones, they may never notice that their children are being sexually abused as some children may never exhibit any sign.
During the campaign against rape and sexual abuse of children highlighted earlier on, school children narrated the many ways they are abused and called for stiffer sentences for the perpetrators. At times society wonders how a perpetrator for sexual abuse gets a sentence for, say seven years while a cattle rustler gets a 12-year sentence. It is important to understand that when a child is sexually abused he or she is damaged socially, morally and psychologically for the rest of his or her life. It is worse if he or she contracts HIV or a sexually transmitted infection in the process.
Neglect of children is also a form of child abuse that is rarely talked about. Neglect can be by the children’s own parents, relatives, guardians or foster parents. In fact, the world over, two forms of children neglect are educational and physical neglect. In terms of educational neglect, parents simply do not bother to send their children to school or make an effort thereof. In the case of physical neglect, children are left unattended or are poorly supervised by their parents or relatives. It is estimated that neglect is one of the worst forms of child abuse.
In Zimbabwe, some parents actually migrate to other countries and leave their children behind. Some of these children are ill–treated by the relatives and teenagers end up resorting to drug and alcohol abuse due to lack of supervision.
Research has revealed that cases of neglect are higher in low-income families, single-parent families and in families where the husband does not have a full-time employment. This is debatable of course.
Apart from the forms of abuse highlighted above, physical violence is the other common form of child abuse. Hitting children seems to be one form of violence that is tolerated in most families. There is no doubt that at one point, parents have slapped or spanked their children. Some parents go to the extent of using a stick or belt.
While disciplining children rests with individual parents, repeated kicking, punching and beating of a child cannot constitute disciplinary measures against children. At times co-habiting adults and step-parents have a tendency of neglecting and beating up their step children.
The Childline toll-free line for reporting child abuse is 116. Remember adults can also report on behalf of the children.
- Vaidah Mashangwa is the Bulawayo provincial development officer in the Ministry of Women Affairs Gender and Community Development. She can be contacted on 0772111592 or email [email protected]
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