EmpowerHuman considers child protection as the prevention of or responding to the incidence of abuse, exploitation, violence, and neglect of children. This includes commercial sexual exploitation, trafficking, child labour, and harmful traditional practices, such as female genital mutilation/cutting and child marriage.
Protection also allows children to have access to their other rights of survival, development, growth, and participation. EmpowerHuman maintains that when child protection fails or is absent children have a risk of death, poor physical and mental health, educational problems, displacement, homelessness and poor parenting.
EmpowerHuman also did training to train the teachers and parents on the protection of children from any kind of violence.
Child Sexual Abuse or child molestation is a form of child abuse in which an adult or older adolescent uses a child for sexual stimulation. Forms of child sexual abuse include engaging in sexual activities with a child (whether by asking or pressuring, or by other means), indecent exposure (of the genitals, female nipples, etc.), child grooming, or using a child to produce child pornography. There are 2 different types of child sexual abuse. These are called contact abuse and non-contact abuse.
Contact abuse involves touching activities where an abuser makes physical contact with a child, including penetration. It includes:
- Sexual touching of any part of the body whether the child’s wearing clothes or not.
- Rape or penetration by putting an object or body part inside a child’s mouth, vagina, or anus.
- Forcing or encouraging a child to take part in sexual activity.
- Making a child take their clothes off, touch someone else’s genitals or masturbate.
Non-contact abuse involves non-touching activities, such as grooming, exploitation, persuading children to perform sexual acts over the internet, and flashing. It includes:
- Encouraging a child to watch or hear sexual acts.
- Not taking proper measures to prevent a child being exposed to sexual activities by others.
- Meeting a child following sexual grooming with the intent of abusing them.
- Online abuse including making, viewing or distributing child abuse images.
- Allowing someone else to make, view or distribute child abuse images.
- Showing pornography to a child.
- Sexually exploiting a child for money, power or status (child exploitation).
The sexual abuse of children is a fundamental violation of their rights. It is a universal and complex problem. It includes a range of abusers, different forms of abuse, and varies in the type and degree of impact on the victim.
Since the First World Congress against the Sexual Exploitation of Children, in 1996, which served to focus attention on the issue, there has been a substantial increase in activities designed to counter a potential increase in the incidence of abuse and its negative impact on children. Interventions have increased through specific targeted projects, and most significantly through an increased recognition that sexually abused and exploited.
children are frequently the same children who are facing a range of difficulties. They are the school-going children, displaced and refugee children, street children, children in hazardous labor, etc.
The outcomes of sexual abuse are very harmful to children; they are similar to those of depression or severe anxiety and nervousness. Most children face health trouble, as well as they don’t want to participate in any physical activities; the victim is always hiding and avoiding a specific person for no reason.
They withdraw themselves from normal and regular activities. This will be the reason for poor performance in school and class participation.
Solution
In light of the staggering statistics and the devastating effects of child sexual abuse, EmpowerHuman is taking the next step to address this issue. The CSA Awareness Program of EmpowerHuman reaches out to children between the age groups of 7- 14 years.
We aim to protect children by educating them and their teachers/parents on how to recognize and prevent child sexual abuse. The outcomes of sexual abuse are very harmful to children; they are similar to those of depression or severe anxiety and nervousness.
Most children face health trouble, as well as they don’t want to participate in any physical activities; the victim is always hiding and avoiding a specific person for no reason. They withdraw themselves from normal and regular activities. This will be the reason for poor performance in school and class participation.
Specifically, we at EmpowerHuman:
- Sensitize the school community on CSA, what it is, the effects, and what should be done.
- Set up efficient counseling services.
- Employ child protection team in every school, train them.
- Set up a group of senior students in every school as master trainer to train each and every student of school about CSA.
Multi-disciplinary and integrated prevention programs
There has been an expansion of activity, particularly cross-agency and multi-disciplinary work aimed at those considered to be particularly vulnerable or at risk of abuse through sexual exploitation. The aim of our organization is to ensure that volunteers working directly with vulnerable students, are fully aware of a range of critical issues, including sexual abuse and exploitation, and are equipped to promote both prevention and response actions as part of their overall range of interventions.
Promoting awareness through mobilization in related communities
In this segment, EmpowerHuman strengthens school resources, including mobilizing other students within their own communities, as a strategy for the prevention of abuse. The program includes material that develops and promotes the concept and offers strategies and guidance for stimulating positive change.
Community Connections
Community workshops are conducted to educate and spread awareness about sexual abuse for community people mostly younger ones. For example, live performances such as plays or theater, puppet shows, rallies to illustrate parenting skills or reporting sexual abuse.
Building networks
The program needs networks to protect children, who have experienced sexual abuse. Links between organizations and service providers at either end of the CSA are essential if children are to be successfully reintegrated without additional trauma. This would involve ensuring both sides of the chain have information about the child, their experiences, and their home environment.
Public awareness and advocacy
Public awareness of sexual abuse is not immediately a part of a recovery strategy; it is linked in terms of support networks, public awareness, and a child’s self-esteem. The information needs to promote an approach that recognizes children as victims of abuse, who need help and support rather than stigma and criminalization. It needs to reflect childhood as a stage during which all young people below the age of 18 require consideration and protection.