Encourage Society Awareness

What is needed?

• Reporting mechanisms and accountability - Oftentimes, victims do not report abuse because the authorities or authority figures are the abusers. There is a vacuum of accountability and justice due to a fear of reprisals from their attackers and/or local authorities. In the rare case where children feel safe enough to come forward with reports of abuse, the protective guardians (parents, community members) often don’t know where they can go for help or how to address the injustice.
• Legal standards and consequences-Abuse occurs at the hands of different types of offenders and, depending on age, circumstance and severity of abuse, must be dealt with through varying means ranging from intensive therapy to long-term incarceration. Perpetrators must be held accountable for acts of sexual abuse and rape, though the issue of cultural competency must be considered, as well as sensitivity towards the victims. However, populations generally know very little about offenders or how to manage them appropriately and adequately. In some countries, attackers are vindicated and the crime is considered nullified as long as they marry the victim. This practice is an unacceptable and outrageous violation of human rights that should be addressed through countries’ legal, judicial and relevant indigenous mechanisms. In parts of Africa, a societal misunderstanding of abuse exists and reports of abuse rarely make it to any type of authority. A rape counselor at a clinic in Sierra Leone explained that parents tend to blame the children for the abuse. "They beat them first to get an explanation of what happened, and then again as punishment."Societal norms against child sexual abuse and support for some type of justice mechanism are necessary so that perpetrators are made fully aware of the gravity of the crime and know that consequences will follow.
• Protection for susceptible children and prioritizing prevention- Programming for support of orphans and street children are important to protect them from exploitation. Children need protection, vocational training and empowerment in order to avoid abuse. Community centers and safe houses could help with this dimension. Also, these highly vulnerable children need to have a trustworthy, effective outlet in order to report abuse and receive the help they need to cope with the trauma.
• Protection for victims of abuse - Victims’ security must be guaranteed in order to ensure that they are able to seek medical attention and justice without fear of reprisals from the perpetrator or local authorities or stigmatization from their communities.
• Community-based, culturally sensitive programming - Community based educational programming that addresses the stigma of rape and sexual abuse are imperative in order to encourage victims to come forward and receive help and the emotional support they need from their families and communities. Communities must be made aware of options of recourse and how to address the issue with sensitivity. Outreach, training and education directed towards the community, service providers and parents is an essential component as well so that children can feel safe in reporting abuse to an adult that will listen and take the appropriate action. Organizations such as Stop the Silence work in this arena.