Sexual harassment of children, can also be called sexual violence against children, is one of the most serious crimes rampant in society recently.
It is a type of sexual exploitation or is sexual contact between children and adults in order to satisfy the sexual desires.
Sexual violence against children is a gross violation of the rights of children, which also represents a global reality in all countries and among all social groups.
It is also defined as the use of the child to satisfy the sexual desires of the adult or adolescent, or be used among the minors that the age difference between them over five years, and the separation age that is considered by the majority of the world is 18 years old, every person under the age of eighteen is a minor, and above this is a teenager. Harassment includes exposing the child to any activity or sexual behavior, and often sexual harassment of the child includes such as touching or to drive him to be touched sexually by harasser.
And the Internet and mobile phones contribute increasingly in exposing the children to the risk of sexual violence, some adults are looking on the Internet in pursuit of sexual relations with children.
There is also an increase in the number and circulation of images of child abuse, in addition to that some children send messages to each other or sexual images on their mobile phones, the so-called “sexual messages”, which exposes them to other risks of exploitation.
Among other forms of sexual abuse on a child is the child prostitution and sexual exploitation of children through pornographic images and pornographic websites. Child sexual abuse can be occurred in various places and means including home, school and work, as it is common in places where there is a work for the children.
And child marriage is considered one of the most important forms of sexual abuse, where UNICEF reported that child marriage “represents perhaps the most prevalent form of sexual abuse and exploitation of underage girls.”
In 2002, the World Health Organization estimated that 150 million girls and 73 million boys under the age of 18 years have been forced to the practice of forced sex or other forms of sexual violence involving physical contact. It is likely that there are millions of others are being exploited in prostitution or pornography every year, and often are tempted or forced through false promises and ignorance of the dangers.
Nevertheless, the real size of sexual violence against children remains hidden, because of the sensitive and illegal nature.
what it calls for the fear is that the perpetrators of sexual violence against underage girls are often from male family members (brothers or uncles), and in this regard, followed by mother s’ husbands, fathers and family members of the female.
WHO also estimated the exposure of up to one billion children, last year, to physical, sexual or psychological violence, and pointed out that one of every five underage girls has been sexually abused once at least once in her life.
It is painful that children are exposed to sexual violence in schools, where teacher’s reportedly bartering grades of sex; and also in care institutions and detention, where sexual violence is used as punishment or sanctions as a means to impose a relationship of power relations.
In 2000, the International Labor Organization estimates that included 1.8 million children are exposed to sexual exploitation in connection with prostitution or pornography. In May / April 2006, the database of International Criminal Police Organization, containing images of abuses on children, contain photographic evidence to prove the occurrence of sexual exploitation of more than 20 thousand children in order to produce pornographic images of children, and the majority of these images are new images, indicating the occurrence of exploitation since soon or the existence of the exploitation and ongoing.
The dangerous thing is that most of the children and families do not report about the cases of abuse and exploitation because of the stigma, fear and lack of confidence in the authorities. And also the lack of social tolerance and a lack of awareness contribute for the weakness of reporting.
Evidence suggests that sexual violence can be a short and long-term serious consequences and the physical, psychological and social effects, not only for girls or boys, but also for their families and communities.
This includes an increased risk of diseases, unwanted pregnancies and psychological pressures, stigma and discrimination and face difficulties in study.
As part of UNICEF’s commitment to the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Declaration of Rio de Janeiro and the call for action to prevent and stop sexual exploitation of children and adolescents, UNICEF is working to prevent sexual violence and address it by involving different government sectors such as the social care , education and health, as well as legislators, civil society and community leaders and religious groups and the private sector, the media means , families and children themselves.
Factors that exposed the children to the risk of sexual violence
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Many believe that poverty is the primary cause of sexual violence against children, where poverty is in fact too often an important factor of child sexual exploitation factors. However, there are many children living in poverty scale and don’t fall a victim to sex exploiters, and must be that there are other factors that drive the child to the exposure to sexual exploitation. In sum, poverty is often relevant, but it is not identified as permanent factors.
This is called in most the poverty with another factor ‘, where there is ‘ an additional factor with poverty leads to increase the fragility of the child’s position.
This factor, such as the rupture of the family that the family provider may be a prey to illness or loss of work, or the death of one or both of the parents leaving children may be without the support in the hands of the adult.
Domestic violence is also one of the factors that increase vulnerability, the children may run away from the house that is exposed to the violence to live in the streets, where their position will be more deteriorated in front of exploitation, violence and trafficking.
Many of the children who fall into the sex trade had been subjected to exploitation initially by a relative, and this abuse was as a determining factor in respect of their escape from the house and are caught eventually a prey to commercial sexual exploitation.
And children in conflict with the scope of education, whether due to lack of enrollment in schools at all or because they have failed to join to it , are also at risk that the opportunities which are available to them are few , and the exploiters are ready to take advantage of it.
What can be done?
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Of the results of the weakness of religious faith in the hearts of many people and the decline of its impact in them, it can be said that the religious discourse that does not care for the adjustment of the citizen for the good and righteousness has become one of the main reasons for the spread of this dangerous phenomenon in our society today.
That is why the psychologists, sociologists and scholars and law experts see the need to open this hidden file based on the principle of ”the best means of defense is to attack and uncover the hidden”.
This file is an attempt to uphold the muffled sound, and a loud cry in the face of all human rights and child care organizations, which have not so far achieved little success in the face of this dangerous phenomenon and completely eliminate them.
In order to stop this serious social deterioration, the government has to strengthen child protection systems at the national and local levels, including laws, policies, regulations, and provide comprehensive services to child victims. And the civil society organizations which are interested in children have to work with UNICEF in order to increase awareness of the problem and address the attitudes, customs and practices that are harmful to children.
It is also painful and regrettable that the government does not know the extent of the scope of the problem of sexual exploitation of children in Iraq, and that they need to invest in estimating the size of the problem. Measurable, things are alone, which has the necessary budget and planning, and without due knowledge in this regard, there wion’t be an effective challenge to this ugly violation of the rights of the children.
Significant progress has been recorded in the field of development of national legislation in various parts of the world to address the issue of sexual exploitation of children. However, the existing legislation in Iraq does not cover various forms of exploitation.
In addition to this, the development of good legislation is only a first step. And to implement the laws effectively, it requires also a priority for it. Without undertaking the necessary implementation, it is noted that the laws become empty of meaning. Effective implementation requires the preparation of resources by the government.
As well as the educational institutions should bear the responsibility to teach children how to protect themselves, in addition to religious and security institutions, no exaggeration to say that all members of society to bear part of the responsibility, especially since we are talking about a phenomenon in society rather than individual cases. As it is known, the phenomena need to planned work in which many actors overlap, and can do many social marketing campaigns to address this phenomenon. It must also instill religious faith in the same people who are making the harassment by directing their desires and tendencies to the good of society and not vice versa.
However, the fight against sexual exploitation of children is not dependent only on the existing laws and capabilities available to implement them, the issue needs to establish a child protection system that is characterized by focusing on prevention as well as to respond to existing situations and to create a protective environment already.
By providing an environment characterized by the protection of children, the government and legislators can to work to enact laws to prevent sexual exploitation and other forms of violence and exploitation, including hazardous labor for children, the violence that is existed at home or community, and the rates of large academic backwardness, and child trafficking.
Dr. al-Obeidi ,Rabeaa
Human rights Activist
Translated by:Mudhaffar al-Kusairi
Rawabet Center for Research and Strategic Studies