The Role of the Department of Education in Preventing Child Sexual Abuse

A Filipino nation working together to stop child sexual abuse
USING OUR STRENGTH OF COLLABORATION AND INTERDEPENDENCE.
The Role of the Department
of Education in Preventing
Child Sexual Abuse
I am the solution

Objectives
• Understand the entire scenario of child sexual abuse: from
child to the family and to the community
• Recognize the sexual abuse perpetrator and environment
in terms of emotional, cognitive, behavioral and social
variables
• Increase awareness on the effects of child sexual abuse on
the victims and their families
• Develop awareness of the concepts and strategies of
Personal Safety Lessons (PSL) as one concrete violence
prevention intervention program in the school setting.

Source:
Center for the Prevention and Treatment of
Child Sexual Abuse (CPTCSA)

WHAT IS SEXUALITY?

Sexuality is how we experience
and express ourselves
as sexual beings.
It is the central aspect of being
human throughout life.

The Circles of Sexuality

Body Image/
Human Sexual
Response
Cycle/ Skin/
Hunger/
Fantasy
Media
messages/
images/
seduction/
withholding
sex, rape,
incest
Caring,
sharing,
loving, risk
taking,
vulnerability
Sexual
behaviour,
reproductive
system,
contraception,
STDs
Biological
gender,
gender
identity and
role, sexual
orientation
Sensuality involves our level of
awareness, acceptance and enjoyment
of our own or others’ bodies
Sexualisation is the
use of sexuality to
influence, control or
manipulate others
Intimacy is the ability &
need to experience
emotional closeness to
another person & have it
returned.
Sexual Health &
Reproduction attitudes &
behaviours towards our
health & the consequences
of sexual activity
Sexual Identity is the
development of a sense
of who one is sexually,
including a sense of
maleness and
femaleness

A Simple Definition
Child sexual abuse is defined and characterized differently based on
perspective and what is harm – medical, legal, social, emotional.
What we all have in common comes to this:
Child Sexual Abuse occurs when
someone uses a child for their own
sexual gratification.
Source: Center for the Prevention and Treatment of Child
Sexual Abuse (CPTCSA)

SONIA’S STORY
• Instructions:
1. Rate the characters 1 to 5, such that #1 is the most
offensive and #5 is the least offensive. You have 5 minutes
to write down your answers silently. (Characters: Sonia,
Greg, Jose, Bong, Lito)
2. Discuss with the group your answers for 20 minutes.
3. Assign a reporter in your group to write your ratings on the
board. 2 minutes given to discuss the group’s rating of the
characters

SONIA’S STORY
Once upon a time, there was a girl named Sonia who
was in love with a man named Greg. Greg lived on the other
side of the river where Sonia lived. The river that separated
the two lovers was teeming with man-eating crocodiles. Sonia
wanted to cross the river to be with Greg. Unfortunately, the
bridge had been washed out. So she went to ask Jose, a
boatman, to take her across. But the look in his eyes
frightened Sonia, so she went to her friend Bong and
explained her plight to him. Bong did not want to be involved
at all in the situation. Sonia felt that her only alternative was
to take the boat, even though she did not trust Jose.

SONIA’S STORY
When the boat was already in the middle of the river,
Jose told Sonia that he couldn’t control himself and he
wanted to make love to her. When Sonia refused, he
threatened to throw her overboard. But if she complied, he
said he would deliver her safely to the other side. Sonia did
not want to be eaten alive by the crocodiles, but she didn’t
see any alternative for herself, so she did not resist Jose. Jose
gratified his desire for Sonia, then delivered her to the other
shore where Greg lived.

SONIA’S STORY
When Sonia told Greg what had happened, he blamed
her because of the way she dressed. He saw her as unclean
and cast her aside with disdain. Heartsick and dejected, Sonia
turned to Lito, a karate black-belter. Lito felt anger for Greg
and compassion for Sonia. He sought out Greg and beat him
brutally. Sonia was overjoyed at the sight of Greg getting his
due. As the sun sets on the horizon, we hear Sonia laughing at
Greg.

•Exhibitionism
•Voyeurism
•Pornography
• Cybersex
•Verbal sexual stimulation
•Obscene calls
•Letting down the bars of privacy so that the child watches or
hears sexual acts
EXAMPLES OF CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE
Non-touching
Touching
•Kissing
•Touching of breasts or genitals
•Fondling
•Fellatio / cunnilingus or oral sex
•Vaginal or anal intercourse or attempted intercourse
•Prostitution
Source:

CHARACTERISTICS OF CSA

Grooming – preparing the child using gifted
relationship skills

Lack of Consent

Ambivalence

Exploitation

Force

Intent – sexual gratification

Secrecy – culture of protecting the abuser
Source:

Causes of CSA
Four Preconditions to Child Sexual Abuse, Finkelhor
Source:

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE
SEXUAL OFFENDER
•Lack of empathy
•Emotionally/socially immature
•Cognitive distortions / Denial
•Others which overcome internal inhibitors: alcohol or
drug abuse, feelings of inadequacy, depression, poor
impulse control, and poor self-concept.
Source:

Factors in the Society that Tolerates Abuse of Children
• Difficult implementation of laws
• Lower status for women and children
• Male as head of house-hold
• Media portrayal of women and children as “objects”
• Sexualizing the media
• Respect for adults and those in authority
• Value for family sanctity
• Value of forgiveness
• Children as being owned by parents
• Utang na loob
• “Mind your own business.” or “I'll get in trouble if I say anything.”
Source:

Factors Within the Child that makes
them Wonderful Victims
• Age of the Child
• Access of the Perpetrator
Source:

Certain traits that all children share that make them
vulnerable to sexual offenders include:
• A child’s natural gift of love and need for affection
• Lack of resources to the child except through the family
• Lack of vocabulary
• Lack of context for such as sex or role models other
than the family
Source:

Certain factors, however, make some
children more at risk than most if:
• They suffer from a disability
• They come from an unhappy family
• They have low self-esteem
• They have high needs for affection and attention
• They have few friends/are isolated
Source:

COMMON EFFECTS OF CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE
1.DISTRUST OF OTHERS AND THEMSELVES.
2.TERROR AND ANXIETY.
3.SHAME, GUILT, AND SELF-HATRED.
4.ALIENATION FROM THEIR BODIES.
5.ISOLATION AND WITHDRAWAL FROM PEOPLE AND ACTIVITIES.
6.POWERLESSNESS, DEPRESSION, AND EXTREME PASSIVITY.
7. ANGER.
8. OBSESSION WITH SEX OR COMPLETE AVERSION TO IT.
9. QUESTIONING THEIR SEXUALITY AND GENDER.
10 DRUG AND ALCOHOL USE, ABUSE, AND ADDICTION.
11 EATING DISORDERS.
12 PERFECTIONISM AND WORKAHOLISM.
13 MENTAL ILLNESS AND SUICIDE.
14 SEXUAL OFFENDING.
15. LOW SELF-ESTEEM
Source:

Group Workshop:
“Kaalaman at Kakayahang
aking kailangan para sa
aking Kaligtasan”
Source:

Instructions:
• Think of the necessary knowledge and skills
children (for elementary)/teenagers (high
school) needs in order to protect themselves
against danger, harm, manipulation and
abuse?
• 2. Write as many as you can. Answers will be
color coded. For example: knowledge– blue;
skills– pink
• 3. Post your answers on the board.

Video:
Source:
Personal Safety
Lessons Briefer

PERSONAL SAFETY
Personal Safety empowers children to take
part in their own protection by giving them
information, skills, and self esteem within
their own culture and religion.
Personal Safety is lessons designed to
protect children from any form of
manipulation. This includes bullying from
friends and abuse by adults and peers,
specifically sexual abuse
Source:

Personal Safety aims at preventing
today’s children from being tomorrow’s
offenders
Personal Safety builds the support
system of each child, including the family,
church, schools, government institutions,
community and friends.

Personal Safety has four goals, all of which
require listening and responding to children:
1. To give low-risk children additional skills for prevention
2. To give high-risk children the opportunity to tell
3. To give abused children who will never tell, the
information to help them deal with their problem, especially
that the abuse was not their fault
4. To teach children today boundaries in order to prevent
them from becoming the offenders of tomorrow
Source:

Personal Safety Materials
teach 8 Basic Concepts:
1. Body Access
2. Body Parts
3. Touch
4. Safety Rules
5. Intuition
6. Support System
7. Blame
8.Secrets
9.Assertiveness
10. Builds the self-esteem of each child to empower them to
practice assertiveness skills for their own protection.
Source:

Touching Rules
• It is never all right for someone to touch your private
body parts except to keep you clean and healthy. It is
never all right for someone older to ask you to touch
their private body parts.
• If someone tries to break rule #1 or if you feel you are
confused or uncomfortable about any touch, say “No!”
and “Go Away!”
• If someone tries to break rule#1, tell someone about it
and keep telling until you get the help you need. Never
keep secrets about a touching problem.
Source:

PERSONAL SAFETY LESSONS
Methodologies are age- appropriate
puppetry
story telling
role-playing
games and songs
discussions
Letters to parents are sent home with students to keep them
informed of the progress of lessons/safety rules taught in the
school.
Source:

Let's Look at the Lessons
Composed of 5 Units :
Unit 1: Pansariling Kaligtasan at Pagpapasiya
Unit 2: Paghawak
Unit 3: Paninindigan
Unit 4: Sistemang Sumusuporta o Tagapagtaguyod
Unit 5: Pisikal na Pang-aabuso at Pagpapasiya
Source:

Concepts : Safety Rules, Touch, Assertiveness
• Concept: Hindi lahat ng pang-aabuso ay
may paghawak. (sumangguni sa R.A. 9775
o Anti-Child Pornography 2009)
• Use the illustration to read and discuss the
story.
• Story/Scenario: Isang butihing kaibigan ng
ama ni Joy ang nagsabi sa kanya kung
maaari siyang kunan ng larawan dahil siya
ay maganda. Pumayag si Joy. Sinabihan
niya si Joy na alisin ang pang-itaas niyang
damit dahil mainit ang panahon
• Processing:
1. Ano kaya ang nadarama si Joy?
2. Makabubuti kaya kung susundin niya ang
utos ng lalake?
3. Ano ang maaari niya gawin?
Source:

Creating fear Teaching "safe" and "loving" touches
along with unsafe touches
Being lectured to without
interactive activities
Use puppetry, role playing, story telling,
brainstorming, art works, games, songs
(all age-appropriate)
Embarrassment of the
subject matter
Teachers need to face their own
sexuality and talk about the issue with
colleagues for preparation
Thinking children should
remain "innocent,"
meaning ignorant and
vulnerable
Children already "know" through the
media and personal experience;
personal safety gives them a healthy
perspective on what they know.
The "shame" label Correct attribution of the shame and
blame onto the offender only
Common Concerns
Source:

Focus on "stranger
danger" and using fear
Understanding behaviors of the offender
and using healthy fear to help protect the
child
Believing that Saying,
"NO!" is enough
Teaching that telling is more important
Once is good enough Must be an ongoing process, not a one
time lesson; constant reinforcement and
modeling are needed.
Source:

Child Discloses
•Verbally
•In Writing
Teacher- Confidant
•Documents abuse disclosure
•Documents any evident injuries
•Fills up report forms
Guidance Counselor/
Principal/
SBST
(School Based Support Team)
Reports to:
•DSWD
•Police
•BCPC
•NBI
•CHR
•DOJ task force
•on children
Informs parents/
Non-offending parent
Hospital for emergency
cases
Authorized Agency
•Does home visits
•Interviews child
•Accompanies child for
Medical exam
PSL invites Disclosures
Reporting Flow Chart
Teachers are
trained to
handle
disclosure
and follow
this
process for
getting
help or
reporting:
Teachers are
trained to
handle
disclosure
and follow
this
process for
getting
help or
reporting:
Source:

Important!
• It is NOT the teacher's duty to
determine if the child is telling the truth
or not.
• Teacher’s duty is to REPORT NOT to
INVESTIGATE
Source:

Roles for Successful Implementation
• Department of Education
• Superintendent
• Principal
• School-based PSL/child protection team
• Teachers
• Parents
• Students
• Community-based services
• I am the solution!
Source:

The Role of the Department of Education in Preventing Child Sexual Abuse

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