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Summary: Programme Director of the Penang-based organisation Women’s Centre for Change, Prema Devaraj, highlights steps that should be implemented in order to prevent child abuse in children's homes in Malaysia.
[11 February 2011] - The allegation of sexual abuse in a children’s home in Penang has brought to the fore a problem which is not often spoken about. The Women’s Centre for Change, Penang, is deeply concerned and suggests the following to help manage and reduce the risk of sexual abuse of those in children’s homes: SCREEN staff and volunteers prior to their employment or work with children in the home. Sexual abuse offenders in homes are often the children’s caregivers who work with or spend a lot of time with them. The management board of homes should also ensure that there is regular supervision and monitoring of staff and volunteers in their interaction with children; EMPOWERMENT of children in homes. Children are often powerless against a sexual offender who is usually in a position of authority. Their lack of knowledge of, and confidence in, their rights; their fear of being blamed or disbelieved; and their lack of access to help means that children can be easily exploited and manipulated by the offender. If we are to protect children, it is imperative that they be taught the differences between good and bad touching, and to tell someone about the latter. They must also be encouraged and empowered to seek help immediately should abuse take place. Children should be encouraged and taught how to raise and discuss problems they face, e.g., by having weekly meetings with a trusted staff or board member. Keeping children docile or subservient only serves to allow abuse to continue once it starts; WORKING with young offenders. Many of those in children’s homes come from difficult backgrounds where they were victims of physical, emotional and/or sexual abuse. Sometimes a child who has been sexually abused in the past becomes an offender and sexually abuses a younger child or other children in the home. Children’s homes should have trained staff who can identify and work with such children to help them heal from such trauma and to break the cycle of abuse. Government funds should be put aside for recruiting child psychologists and other professionals in the community to support the staff in this work; and REPORTING the abuse. Very often, a lack of awareness, disbelief and/or inaction by caregivers and board members in a children’s home means that a sexual offender continues to have access to children, enabling the sexual abuse to continue, often over many years, with devastating long-term impact on them. Staff and management boards of children’s homes need not only be vigilant over the possible occurrence of child sexual abuse in their homes but also must respond immediately and appropriately when they become aware of such abuse. There is a need for all of us to be constantly vigilant and to have inter-agency networking and support where the protection and well- being of children is concerned. Directly or indirectly, children depend on us for their safety and well-being. We simply cannot let them down. We have to step up our efforts. PREMA DEVARAJ, Further Information:
Programme Director,
Women’s Centre for Change, Penang.