THE issue of sex is still somewhat of a taboo subject in Guyana, and rarely one would find parents discussing it with their children. As such, children and adolescents are left to figure out and explore on their own what sex is.

It is not surprising, therefore, that we have numerous cases of unreported sexual abuse. Most incidents occur in the family, so the abuse is either buried deep or parents and guardians refuse to believe the victim.

Many parents do not want their children labelled as survivors of sexual abuse, and make the decision to deal with it privately, rather than involve law enforcement.
When that decision is made, most often the abuser is emboldened to repeat the behaviour, while he or she, unfortunately, remains anonymous.
In this regard, the Childcare and Protection Agency (CPA) has a huge challenge in reaching out to victims, given that its Director, Ann Greene, had admitted that there aren’t enough officers in each region.

We’ve all heard and read the horror stories of children being raped or touched inappropriately, either by their fathers, close relatives, or a family-friend; and most of these victims are girls.

Last month, the CPA reported that Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Upper Berbice) had recorded the highest cases of child abuse, with some 22.1 per cent in 2017. Region Three (West Demerara-Essequibo Islands) was tagged at second with 20.6 per cent, with Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica) coming in third at 17.6 per cent.
The CPA Director had also observed that the most common form of reported child abuse is neglect, for which Region 10 recorded some 12.0 per cent.

While Regions One, Eight and Nine did not record any child neglect cases, those regions recorded high rates of child sexual abuse. “All the regions have recorded sexual abuse, so it’s right across the country. But if you look at where the hurt is for children, it’s in the home. In the place where they should be loved the most, they are being hurt. Mothers are the main perpetrators and fathers,” Greene explained.
She noted that these statistics are not reflective of an increase in child abuse, but rather is attributed to the multimedia child abuse awareness campaign that was launched by the CPA last year.

“…There are more channels to report and persons are more willing to talk about child abuse, but there is still too much silence, particularly on childhood sexual abuse which is done behind closed doors and victims are without a voice,” Greene explained.
She also urged a ‘change’ in adult behaviour and attitudes towards children, noting that the Ministry of Social Protection cannot do it alone.
In 2016, the ministry had also received a total of 118 reports of boys being molested, and according to the statistics, the majority of boys suffering from abuse in all of its forms are between the ages of eight and 13.

We, like Ms Greene, believe that the task of addressing sexual abuse in a holistic manner should not rest solely on the shoulders of the CPA; that it requires the collaborative effort of all stakeholders, including Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and the religious community.

An aggressive sensitisation campaign on sexual abuse is needed if the issue is to be tackled effectively; visits to various schools, especially in the hinterland areas, are a must.
It should not be ignored that parents play an important role in this regard and evidence shows that they are often the first to identify signs that something is seriously wrong with their child, but with the evolution of technology, mobile phones, social media and apps have become a major connection between children and abusers.
The role of parents in safeguarding is much harder, because of the difficulties of controlling these media, which are used by sexual abusers to coerce, manipulate, threaten, control, flatter and entice children. As such, we believe that as a society, we should help parents and guardians understand their responsibility to teach their children how to protect themselves from predators. Parents need to recognise that the responsibility to impart this critical information belongs only to them and no one else. Other appropriate adults can reinforce, remind, and be supportive of the parental process, but the responsibility rests with the parents.