To alleviate the pain

(Baonghean)Child sexual abuse has become an alarming problem reflecting moral decay and causing widespread social concern. In particular, the age of victims of child sexual abuse is increasing, with a growing trend. In the first nine months of 2013 alone, there were seven cases, all involving teenage girls, some as young as three years old. This number only represents the cases that have come to light; many more remain unreported by families due to shame.

A reproductive health education session for adolescents at Thai Hoa High School. Photo: Thanh Phuc

In late 2012, public opinion in Nghia Dan district was abuzz with the story of V (13 years old), who had been sexually abused multiple times by a neighbor, resulting in premature pregnancy. Her parents noticed unusual behavior and questioned her, whereupon she confessed to being sexually assaulted by the neighbor. After receiving a complaint from the family, authorities launched an investigation. During the investigation, V recounted the events: To help her family, she went crabbing, snail hunting, and cattle herding. Knowing she often went alone, the depraved neighbor overpowered and raped her, then threatened to kill her if she told anyone. Out of fear, V remained silent. As a result, she was sexually assaulted multiple times. When her parents discovered the pregnancy, she was already seven months pregnant (V herself was unaware of her pregnancy). The pregnancy was too advanced to terminate, forcing her to become an unwilling mother at the age of 14.

For example, there was the case of T (3 years old) in Nam Dan district, who was sexually assaulted by a neighbor. Because the parents were careless, thinking it was just a neighbor, they didn't pay attention and left their child at home with him. While the rape was in progress, a villager passing by discovered it and raised the alarm. The parents reported the incident to the authorities, but the punishment was not deterrent enough.

In many cases, the perpetrators of child sexual abuse are people very close to the victims. These could be stepfathers, young men from the same neighborhood, or even people the age of the children's grandfathers. Statistics show that the victims range in age from 3 to 27 years old (especially 7 to 16 years old), while the perpetrators are between 17 and 70 years old. Dr. Nguyen Quang Trung – Director of the Provincial Medical Examination Center – stated: “Recently, the situation of child sexual abuse in the province has been quite complex. The main reasons for this behavior are the lack of parental attention and care, and the remote locations where the incidents occur, making children vulnerable to exploitation by perpetrators.”

Today's children experience early puberty, lack parental attention and care, have poor knowledge of sexual health, and sex education is not prioritized. Furthermore, the social environment has many impacts on adolescents, leading them to imitate their peers and making them vulnerable to exploitation and manipulation. In addition, limited awareness of the law is also a reason why many individuals (especially minors) engage in child sexual abuse.

Child sexual abuse not only causes physical harm and immediate consequences but can also leave lifelong trauma. Children may suffer severe reproductive health problems, affecting their ability to learn, integrate into family and society, and suffer from mental health issues. To help children develop self-protection skills, parents must teach them how to protect themselves; share with their children to understand necessary psychological and physiological changes, and learn how to talk to them about sensitive issues. Government agencies and departments need to pay due attention to developing beneficial activities to create a healthy living environment for children. In reality, many families, even after discovering their child has been sexually abused, choose to remain silent, refusing to report it for fear of damaging the child's reputation and the family's future. In some cases, the two families settle on a compensation amount, while some mothers hide the truth due to shame and embarrassment. Therefore, the problem of child sexual abuse has not decreased.

Thuy Hien(Provincial Center for Information and Health Education)