You are here
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.
-
Case Study: Breaking the silence on child sexual abuse in schools in Bangladesh
Breaking the Silence (BTS) is a programme designed to build the awareness of children on child sexual abuse. This case study is about an intervention in the Debnogor Begum Rokeya Highschool that took place from 2009 to 2010 and brought out the issue of ch
-
Weathering the storm: Adolescent girls and climate change
This report calls for better integration of adolescent girls' needs in climate change adaptation and disaster risk management policies and programmes, based on interviews with girls involved in Plan's programmes in Ethiopia and Bangladesh. The impacts of
-
Vulnérabilités et violences faites aux enfants: Rapport de synthèse 2011- Côte d'Ivoire
2011 summary annual report on vulnerabilities and child rights violations in Côte d'Ivoire, prepared by he Child Protection Sub-Cluster in Côte d’Ivoire, with the support of UNICEF, Save the Children and UNFPA. Children have been greatly affected by the p
-
Human trafficking in the Republic of Serbia: Report for the period 2000-2010
ASTRA’s Report on Human Trafficking in Serbia for the period 2000-2010 examines the modalities of incorporation of the two most relevant international documents – UN Palermo Protocol and Council of Europe’s Convention on Action against Trafficking in Huma
-
Sin Tiempo para Dudar: Enfrentando el Riesgo Urbano. Una Mirada a las Intervenciones Urbanas Llevadas a Cabo por las Sociedades de la Cruz Roja en Latinoamérica y el Caribe
This publication endeavours to complement and inform the on-going internal process of identifying and defining common strategies for urban interventions to operate and manage urban risk in the Americas. It also aims to better capture and reflect National
-
Safe on the Internet: Comprehensive Response to On-Line Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation in Bulgaria Project
This report shows the results from a peer research on the topic of the on-line risks for children completed in 2011 as part of the Project "Comprehensive Response to On-Line Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation in Bulgaria"- a project implemented by the Ce
-
Fact Sheet- Child Protection
A fact sheet looking at several aspects of child protection and the needs and priorities of vulnerable children. Children in every country, every culture and at every social level face various forms of abuse, neglect, exploitation and violence. The abuse
-
Acceso a la justicia para mujeres víctimas de violencia sexual en Mesoamérica
The report 'Access to Justice for Women Victims of Sexual Violence in Mesoamerica' published by Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), analyses the multiple dimensions of the problem of sexual violence and its treatment by the justice systems
-
Achieving Justice for Victims of Rape and Advancing Women's Rights: Comparative Study of Legal Reform
TrustLaw has produced a research study to support the reform of rape legislation in Haiti. This is the first of two reports, prepared at the request of MADRE, the international women’s human rights organisation. It focuses on the rape laws and procedures
-
A Study on Children’s Protection Mechanisms in Sudan
One of the recommendations of the UN Study on Violence against Children was for all states to develop a multi-faceted and systematic framework to respond to violence against children which is integrated into their national planning processes. In an effort
-
Parenting and the prevention of child maltreatment in low- and middle-income countries: A systematic review of interventions and a discussion of prevention of the risks of future violent behaviour among boys
Child maltreatment is a global phenomenon. While definitions of child physical and psychological maltreatment may differ across cultures and countries, poor or harsh parenting is a critical risk factor for maltreatment worldwide, particularly in the early
-
Case Study. Empowering youth in Yemen to assert their right to reproductive health
Save the Children affirms that adolescents have a right to age-appropriate sexual and reproductive health information, education, and services that enable them to deal positively and responsibly with their sexuality. The regional Sexual and Reproductive H