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Warnings: Child sexual abuse is on the rise in Vietnam - Join to stop!
Warnings: Child sexual abuse is on the rise in Vietnam - Join to stop!
15/4/17
Child
sexual abuse has been on the increase in Vietnam in recent years according to
the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs. According to
the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, around 2,000 Vietnamese
children face violence and abuse annually, including 1,200 suffering from
sexual abuse. But the real number of Vietnamese children being sexually abused
may be much higher than estimated. The reported number may be only the tip of
the iceberg. Many cases have been detected and denounced. But many
cases of childhood sexual harassment remain undetected. Although official data
are unavailable, estimates are consistently alarming.
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.
The
global prevalence of child sexual abuse has been estimated at 19.7% for females
and 7.9% for males. Most sexual
abuse offenders are acquainted with their victims; approximately 30% are
relatives of the child, most often brothers, fathers, uncles, or cousins; around 60% are other acquaintances,
such as "friends" of the family, babysitters, or neighbors; strangers
are the offenders in approximately 10% of child sexual abuse cases. Most child sexual abuse is committed
by men; studies on female child molesters show that women commit 14% to 40% of
offenses reported against boys and 6% of offenses reported against girls.
Child
sexual abuse is outlawed nearly everywhere in the world, generally with severe
criminal penalties, including in some jurisdictions, life
imprisonment or capital punishment. An adult's sexual intercourse with
someone below the legal age of
consent is defined as statutory
rape, based on the
principle that a child is not capable of consent and that any apparent consent
by a child is not considered to be legal consent.
The
United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) is an international treaty that legally obliges states to protect
children's rights. Articles 34 and 35 of the CRC require states to protect
children from all forms of sexual exploitation and sexual abuse. This includes
outlawing the coercion of a child to perform sexual activity, the prostitution of children, and the exploitation
of children in creating pornography. States are also required to
prevent the abduction, sale, or trafficking of children. As of November 2008, 193 countries are
bound by the CRC, including every
member of the United
Nations except the United States and South Sudan.
The Council of Europe has adopted the Council of
Europe Convention on the Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and
Sexual Abuse in order
to prohibit child sexual abuse that occurs within home or family.
All
children have the right to live free of violence, abuse and exploitation. Vietnamese
government has carried out many actions to investigate recent incidents
involving the sexual abuse of children, but the issue remains seriously
concerned that child abuse is wide-spread and most incidents remain unreported.
Child pornography or pedophilia are
clearly prohibited in Việt Nam’s Criminal Code, however, the punishment is
light, said Lê Văn Luân, a lawyer who is consulting on a sexual abuse case in
Hà Nội that has attracted recent public attention.
The silence originates from
Vietnamese culture: fear of talking about sex. In addition, legal systems are
not strong enough. Legal executive officers seem to think that women should not
go out at night or wear clothes that attract attention. Even children are
blamed for not knowing how to protect themselves.
Deputy
Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Dao Hong Lan said the
settlement of a child abuse case in Vietnam is very complicated. In Vietnam,
sexual abuse, especially of children, is such a culturally sensitive issue that
the families of both victims and offenders do not want such incidents to be
publicly revealed. A victim’s family fears the incident will harm the future of
their child while an offender’s family fears that they will be scorned by the
public. Most child sexual abuse offenders are relatives and acquaintances of
victims’ families. Sexual offenders take advantage of naive children to
sexually abuse them because children are not wary of their relatives or of
people they know.
Children
who are sexually abused often have to suffer from serious psychological
impacts, affecting their future, the deputy minister said. She added that the
ministry has taken 2017’s theme as the year to fight child sexual abuse. The
ministry has instructed localities nationwide for the implementation of the
year’s activities and improved regulations to tackle the issue.
The number of child sex abuse cases in Vietnam has been increasing at an
alarming rate in recent years, making experts scratch their heads over the
cause as well as suitable penalties for offenders.
It is
vital to strengthen the child protection system in Viet Nam in order to protect
children from all forms of violence, abuse and exploitation. Viet Nam must
continue to invest the necessary human and financial resources to protect
children from all forms of sexual violence, abuse and exploitation, including
the availability of professionally qualified Social Workers at all levels, also
ensuring child-friendly access to justice and effective remedies and
specialized assistance to victims. At the same time, Viet Nam must invest more
in prevention, not only reacting to cases of child abuse after they happen, but
stopping these cases before they happen./.
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All comments [ 12 ]
Child sexual abuse can occur in a variety of settings, including home, school, or work (in places where child labor is common). Child marriage is one of the main forms of child sexual abuse.
Sexual abuse by a family member is a form of incest and can result in more serious and long-term psychological trauma, especially in the case of parental incest.
In other countries, those who let children see pornography might be brought to court. In Việt Nam, the Criminal Code has loopholes.
Việt Nam has 15 State agencies in charge of child rights protection, but the nation must take advantage of these agencies and strongly collaborate with civil society organisations.
Refusing the right to have personal secrets protected and raising one’s voice about sexual abuse cases requires major courage from victims.
Primary school children must be equipped with enough information about sexual harassment to know how to protect themselves.
Need to fight hard against this crime!
Sexual harassment damages young children both physically and mentally, making it difficult for them to integrate into the community later.
Guardians of children have overlooked the importance of protecting their kids from potential abuse.
Strict regulations and severe punishment have to be applied in order to deter child sex abuse.
Parents have to talk to their kids about certain body parts they must not let strangers touch. They should also tell their kids not to come home late or hang out in deserted areas.
Significantly, elimination of violence against children has been made a distinct target in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. It is high time to close the gap between international standards, political commitments and action.
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