Sexual abuse threatens children's well-being, education, and career goals. It refers to unwanted sexual contact or activity and can include kissing, touching, rape or attempting rape of someone unable or unwilling to consent. Victims often experience low self-esteem, depression, guilt, sleep issues, lack of trust, and difficulty with intimacy. International statistics show hundreds of thousands of reported sexual abuse cases annually. Local statistics in Trinidad and Tobago ranged from 17.7% to 25.5% reported cases between 2004-2009. Proposed strategies to address this issue include creating educational clubs for youth, producing short films and presentations, and distributing informational fliers.

1. SexualAbuse
Sexual Abuse is a real and serious problem that can affect any child or youth regardless of any
gender, race or age. It can threaten physical or emotional wellbeing, influence school
performance and make it difficult to achieve their career goals.
WHAT IS SEXUAL ABUSE?
Sexual abuse refers to any action that pressures or coerces someone to do something sexually
they don't want to do.
Examples of Sexual Abuse
Examples of sexual abuse are, unwanted kissing or touching, unwanted rough or violent sexual
activity and rape or attempted rape. Keeping someone from protecting themselves from sexually
transmitted infections (STIs). Sexual contact with someone who is very drunk, drugged,
unconscious or otherwise unable to give a clear and informed “yes” or “no.”
Threatening someone into unwanted sexual activity, repeatedly pressuring someone to have sex
or perform sexual acts and repeatedly using sexual insults toward someone.
Consequences of Sexual Abuse (in my own words)
There are consequences to every action that is performed, like the saying every action has a
reaction. There can be good consequences or bad consequences but in this case there are only
Name of Student: Radha Sookram
Class: 3 Jai
Name of Teacher: Miss Kamla Rambally
Subject: Social Studies

2. bad consequences. Some consequences of Sexual Abuse are; low self-esteem or self-hatred, in
other words when you’re a victim of sexual abuse you no longer like yourself for who you are,
you begin to hate yourself for letting it happen. Victims may suffer from depression. Because
of the trauma the victim experienced, the memory of this never leaves and the person will
continue to think about this, causing him/her to go into a depression. Guilt, shame and blame;
the victim usually blames him/herself for what had taken place, they usually feel guilty about
this because they think it’s their fault but sometimes it could be. Their physical appearance
usually attracts predators.
Sleep disturbances/disorders; the memory of this event usually hunts the victim causing
nightmares. They may have trouble sleeping. Because of the trauma, anxiety or may directly
be related to the experience they had as a child; children may be sexually abused in their own
beds. Lack of trust for anyone; many victims were betrayed by the very people they are
dependent upon like parents, teachers and other close ones, who cared for them. The ones
insisted they loved them even while abusing them. Learning to trust can be extremely difficult
under these circumstances.
Flash backs; many victims of child abuse re-experience the sexual abuse as if it were
occurring at that moment, it is usually accompanied by visual images of the abuse. These
flashes of images are often triggered by an event, action, or even a smell that is reminiscent of
the sexual abuse of the abuser. Dissociation; many victims go through a process where the
mind distances itself from the experience because it is too much for the psyche to process at
the time. This loss of connection with thoughts, memories, feelings, actions or sense of
identity, is a coping mechanism and may affect aspects of a victim’s functioning. Sexuality /
Intimacy; many victims have to deal with the fact that their first sexual encounter was a result
of abuse. Such memories may interfere with the victim’s ability to engage in sexual
relationships, which may bring about feelings of fright, frustration, or being ashamed.
International statistics
61,472 cases of child sexual abuse were reported in the United States in 2011. A United
Nations statistical report compiled from government sources showed that more than 250,000
cases of rape or attempted rape were recorded by police annually. The reported data covered 65
countries. In 2012, Afghanistan recorded 160 cases of rape. In Australia, it produced incidence
finding of 1.9 per cent for sexual assault in the previous 12 months. Bosnia and Herzegovina, in
1993 a European Community commission estimated that around 20,000 women were raped,
while the Bosnian Government put the figure at 50,000. In Botswana, 4.6% had been raped in the
past year. In Cambodia, 20.4% of Cambodian men said that they had raped a woman in their
lifetime and 11.3% had raped in the past year. 3.3% had raped another man at some point and
23% had participated in gang rape.
Local Statistics
In 2004 it was twenty three point three percent. In 2005 there were twenty five point five
percent. In 2006 there were nineteen point six percent. In 2007 there were twenty three point
nine percent. In 2008 there were seventeen point seven percent. In 2009 there were eighteen
point five percent.

3. Strategies
The main solution to ease the amount of sexual abuse in the country is Education:
 The creation of clubs
 The production of short films, advertisements, plays, presentations , apps
 The printing of fliers, brochures
The Creation of clubs
The creation of clubs will educate the youths at a young age. In this club the members will visit
sexually abused youth and they would be able to communicate with the victims. The members
will learn valuable life lessons that will influence them make suitable decisions for their future.
They would be able to talk with the victims and counsel them a little. The members will learn
from the victims. The members will see how the victims react and they will visualize the trauma
the victims went through in their lives.
The production of short films, advertisements, plays and
presentations
These days the youth in Trinidad and Tobago and also the world barely is out doors they are
usually found behind a television, tablets and the other gadgets. For them to learn about Sexual
abuse software owners can create learning apps for the children who live behind their gadgets.
The members of the sexual abuse club can create short films which has an informative storyline
for the public and youths. They can have plays showing the consequences and why we should up
a stop to sexual abuse and why we should say NO. The members should have presentations in
schools all over the countries both Primary and Secondary Schools to educate the pupils.
The creation of Fliers and Brochures
These fliers and brochures will be handed out to the public and the youths in society to inform
them about the mental people we have in society.
In my opinion I would be involved in the creation of clubs
.
As a member of the club I would be involved in helping the victims of Sexual Abuse, sharing
their pain in any way possible, interacting with the victims, educate the youth youngest as
possible, educate them about the consequences of Sexual Abuse and if they are facing or
experiencing this to phone the police or talk to a trusted adult about this matter. As a member I
will want to make a difference in this little country Trinidad and Tobago in any little way
possible. I want to make sure everyone voices is being heard and justice is served to them.
I want the victims to know that they are not alone and I will always stand by them. As a member
that is the differences that I would like to make.

4. Justification
The biggest question is why I had chosen this topic. The reason why I had chosen and have a
passion towards this topic is because I know someone who had experience with this. This
affected her very badly; she started to cry after this event. In her case it was just one event but
what about the youth every night who experienced this. Imagine the trauma that individual went
through. Some are sexually abused by their own fathers or mothers. It is like a scar which never
goes away. I could never imagine the pain the victim went through nor would I want to. When
you experience this trauma you lose everything; self-esteem and courage. A great leader once
said that the future of our nation lies in the backpack of our children. If this continues we would
not have any future. When these poor, innocent children go through this trauma, how will they
study? How will they focus? How will they feel good about themselves? I don’t go through his
trauma so I can have my full attention towards my studies, but what about the children who does
not have full attention towards their studies? I have so much and I take it for granted but after
learning about this topic I am now aware of it. I am now aware that I can make a difference in
any little way to ensure that there is a future. This is why I have chosen this topic. I want to make
a difference I want to make sure justice is served to those victims.