ASABA/Nigeria: Children, it has been noted over time, need to be loved, guided, and protected by all. Unfortunately, in today’s society, parents, guardians, and caregivers who are charged with the responsibility of protecting children hardly have time for them, which makes the under-aged vulnerable to harmful experiences.
Child sexual molestation includes engaging in sexual activities with a child, indecent exposure, child grooming, and child sexual exploitation, including using a child to produce child pornography.
UNICEF reported in 2015 that one in every five girls and one in every 10 boys has experienced sexual molestation before the age of 18.
It is commonplace that this act has gained much ground in our immediate communities, and the perpetrators are relatives, neighbours, school teachers and sometimes strangers.
Our correspondent went town and reported that parents have to build the trust level between them and their wards alongside early introduction of sex education as a means to curb child sexual molestation rate in the state and nation.
Mrs Juliet Alawuru, a teacher, who spoke to our correspondent in Asaba, described the act as barbaric and evil, while expressing her concern.
She said that not up to half the cases were reported to appropriate authorities due to fear of stigmatization, which according to her, made it even more alarming.
Mrs Alawuru suggested that constant sensitization and encouragement by appropriate authorities could encourage victims to speak out.
Another respondent, Mrs Stella Ideifo, a civil servant, said that child sexual molestation had become rampant, recounting a scenario that played out in her area, where she said a stepfather was ‘molestating’ his 10-year-old step daughter.
“Most parents are too busy chasing money and personal interests and they forget to ensure the general wellbeing of their children,” she said.
This, she said, had made parents to leave the welfare of their children to people who molest them.
She advised that parents should pay more attention to their children and teach them the proper names of their body parts, building trust by regularly talking to them about their day to make them comfortable to report any issues, and educating them on sexual abuse and other related matters.
A male respondent, who spoke on the ground of anonymity, stated that he was a victim, and that he was abused by their nanny when he was in junior secondary school, and never spoke about it due to fear of stigmatization until recently.
He said that he picked courage to speak about it in 2019 after the widely reported incident that played between Mrs Timi Dakolo and Pastor Biodun that year.
Speaking further, he encouraged people like him to speak out, saying that it would help others who had no courage to speak to know that they were not alone in the abuse.
