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Sexual violence and abuse
Sexual violence occurs everywhere in society – in the home, in communities, in schools and work places, in public spheres and in institutions.
Sexual violence is commonly understood as one or several of the following actions: rape, incest, sexual harassment, sexual exploitation and abuse, forced prostitution, female genital mutilation (FGM), sexual slavery, child abuse images, grooming for sexual purposes and trafficking for sexual exploitation. Also child marriage goes under this definition. Sexual violence is a form of gender-based violence which refers to violence that targets individuals or groups on the basis of their gender. It has been widely acknowledged that the majority of persons affected by gender-based violence are women and girls.
Sexual violence and gender-based violence has also become very common in conflicts and emergencies like natural disasters and their aftermath. It is perpetrated against girls and boys when there is no rule of law and is exacerbated by a culture of impunity. In some cases, sexual violence has been used as a tactic of war designed to humiliate and exterminate a whole population or ethnic group, force them to displace or simply to destroy their social fabric. Unfortunately, sexual violence and abuse is also quite common after the major crisis is finished. When in relief camps it is easy for people to abuse their power and ask for sexual favours in exchange for basic necessities.
The effects of sexual abuse are devastating. Survivors are vulnerable to unwanted pregnancies, psychological trauma, to the spread of HIV and AIDS, and other diseases. It can tear families and communities apart and increase maternal and child mortality rates. Girls and boys who report sexual violence are often not listened to or are even blamed for the violence they experience. Though the majority of children affected are girls, boys are also sexually abused and exploited. Girls and boys are more vulnerable to sexual violence due to gender discrimination, traditional cultural practices, perceptions of masculinity, and unequal power relations between adults and children.
Children face sexual exploitation by people who have an emotional or professional relationship with the child and who exploit their position of trust and power. Children are also sexually exploited by abusers or third parties with commercial or other exploitative interests.
In ratifying the Convention on the Rights of the Child, states have committed themselves to protecting all children under the age of 18 from all forms of sexual violence.
Save the Children’s work to end sexual violence includes provision of age and gender-sensitive response services for girls and boys, advocacy work addressing national laws and policies, promoting online safety and prevent child marriages and female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM). Since gender norms perpetuates sexual and gender based violence it is important to challenge these, and to work separately with boys and men, alongside girls and women.
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RecommendedListen and speak out against sexual abuse of boys and girls: 10 essential learning points. Global presentation by the International Save the Children Alliance- UN Study on Violence
'Listen and speak out against sexual abuse of boys and girls: 10 essential learning points', is a Save the Children report on sexual abuse based on consultations carried out in Canada, Colombia, Brazil, South Africa, Romania, Spain, Mozambique, Rwanda, Ba
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RecommendedWALAW (No Way/What If)
"WALAW (No Way/What If)" is a short movie based on a true story that describes how within a loving family, the 8-year old daughter is exposed to child sexual abuse by a close family member without the awareness of the parents. During that period the paren
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Weapon of War: Sexual violence against children in conflict
Globally, 426 million children live in conflict zones today. We estimate that a staggering 72 million of them, or one in six, live 50 kilometres or closer to conflicts where armed groups or forces have perpetrated sexual violence against children during t
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Modelo Integral de Prevención y Protección Contra la Violencia Sexual
El proceso de la documentación del modelo en el marco del proyecto de UE Save the Children Suecia (SCS) ha encargado la documentación del modelo integral, que se realiza en el marco del proyecto de la UE sobre prevención en contra de la violencia sexual,
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Stopp! Min Kropp! För barn i förskoleålder
Någon gång i 4–5 årsåldern kan det vara dags att prata om att det tyvärr finns människor, både små och stora, som ibland gör saker med barn och deras kroppar som de inte vill eller gillar. Det kan vara bra att förklara att om någon gör, eller vill göra, n
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Stopp! Min Kropp! På nätet
Idag har de flesta barn tillgång till telefoner, surfplattor och datorer. Nätet är en rolig, spännande och lärorik plats för många barn och vuxna. Det är en plats med möjlighet till gemenskap och vänskap, men även en plats där barn kan att utsättas för si
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Nowhere To Go: Disclosure and helpseeking behaviors for survivors of violence against women and girls in South Sudan
Violence against women and girls (VAWG) is a serious problem during times of armed conflict. Global estimates show that approximately 21 percent of women and girls in complex humanitarian crises have experienced sexual violence at least once during their
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"Internett er et Stort Mørkt Rom": Håndtering av risiko for seksuell utnytting over internett på barnevernsinstitusjon
Throughout history, technological development has had a major impact on society as a whole. Today we find that access to the internet is ubiquitous, and in recent years this has touched the lives particularly of children and young people. As most young pe
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Supporting Survivors of Conflict Related Sexual Violence
This report is based on a rapid review of published academic literature. This highlights a dominant focus on conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) in Africa with less readily accessible information from conflicts in Asia and Latin America. Although sexu
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“They Treated Us in Monstrous Ways”: Sexual violence against men, boys, and transgender women in the Syrian conflict
Since the onset of the Syrian conflict, men, boys, and transgender women have been subjected to rape and other forms of sexual violence by the Syrian Government and armed non-state actors. Men who are perceived as gay or bisexual and trans women have been
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Interim Technical Note: Protection from sexual exploitation and abuse (PSEA) during COVID-19 response
The COVID-19 pandemic is a global public health, social and economic crisis. With restrictions on travel ad movement, civil society and humanitarian organizations play a critical role in supporting authorities to respond. All people should remain safe fro
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Stopp! Min Kropp! Second edition
Stopp! Min Kropp! ("Respect! My Body!") is a guidance document developed for adults to use when teaching children about their bodies, boundaries, and sexual abuse. Early on, children need to understand the value of their bodies and how to say or communica