The directors of the Guardianes organization affirm that if sexual violence is silenced, it is perpetuated. On the opposite, if it is spoken and treated properly, it can be ground for emotional health, knowledge, and people’s full potential development.
Prevention and treatment of child sexual abuse
The directors of the Guardianes organization, specialized in prevention and treatment of child sexual abuse, offered an interview to follow up on the investigation of the aggression case against two girls inside the bathrooms of an elementary school in Culiacán.
This organization worked some years ago in Mazatlan, Sinaloa, in almost fifty elementary schools, giving workshops to children, teachers, and parents, which allowed the organization to confirm that there is a great need to educate about sexual violence and share the appropriate information.
The Guardianes general director considers that it is necessary to clarify some terms when talking about sexual violence. For example, not reducing the importance of the matter by calling it abuse, harassment —or even— improper practice.
It is important to believe children when they report any type of abuse. Remember that their brain is in the development stage and, therefore, sometimes they cannot clearly distinguish the difference between reality and something they just observed. However, a child lying in matters of sexual abuse is not common at all.
Secondly, the child must be safe from the alleged aggressor, execute the complaint and look for specialized help to care for the victim. It is advisable to tell the victim that he was very brave when talking about what happened to him.
In the case of Culiacán, two girls were assaulted in an elementary school bathroom by an unknown man who entered the campus without being seen. The criminal escaped. The information was known because the mother of one of the girls shared it with the media and the authorities after the incident since she did not receive a response from the institution’s management.
The school’s principal considered that the fact was not a crime because the man did not touch the intimate parts of the girls, so she pointed out that the case was not going to be followed up.
Sexual violence
Sexual violence can occur with or without physical contact. According to experts, any erotic or lascivious contact with an underage person is considered child sexual violence.
The cases of grooming —in which an adult pretends to be a child to get their attention, asking them to pose, observe pornography or scenes of sexual content— are also sexual violence without physical contact. This type of approach usually happens through social networks.
To avoid cases like the one that occurred in Culiacán, schools must be prepared to prevent abuse towards their students.
In order for victims to heal, it is crucial to handle these cases properly. This guarantees that these aggressions will not be repeated. The most important thing is to emphasize that these accusations cannot be ignored, and the complaint must proceed in every case.
