Increase school counselling services - To help sexually abused children

Daily Graphic (pg11) Wed. April 21/10

Story Rebecca Quaicoe-Duho
PLAN Ghana, a child centered international non-governmental organisation, has called for the scaling up of school guidance and counselling services to help sexually abused children.
According to the organisation, most children who were sexually abused in the school environment did not receive adequate counselling to enable them continue with their education.
The Advocacy Advisor of Plan Ghana, Mr George Cobbinah, made this known when he briefed the media in Accra on the outcome of a survey conducted in eight communities by Plan Ghana, in the Upper Manya district of the Eastern Region and the Awutu-Senya and Effutu districts of the Central Region in 2009.
The report which was part of Plan International’s three-year global campaign was dubbed; “Learn Without Fear” and it aimed at creating safer school environments for children. It was undertaken by the Child Research Resource Centre (CRRECENT).
The research took into consideration both contact and non-contact forms of sexual abuse in schools and it showed that about 53 per cent of sexual abuse occurs in school environment and 47 per cent happened in homes.
The survey showed that 100 per cent of girl-victims did not enjoy school again after their ordeal while 73 per cent became afraid of their perpetrators.
He said the research further established that 58 per cent of sexually abused children were unable to concentrate on their studies in school.
The call, which formed part of Plan Ghana’s recommendations after the survey, showed that child sexual abuse was rife in schools and therefore called for more sensitisation on the issue for schoolchildren.
According to Mr Cobbinah, the survey showed that out of 304 children sampled, 14 per cent of them between the ages of 14 and 15 years had been sexually abused.
He said the main perpetrators included classmates who formed 89 per cent, teachers, 21 per cent and relatives 13 per cent.
The recommendation which also included an advocacy campaign for the enforcement of legislation, said nothing was done about the 38 per cent of the cases which were reported while 28 per cent of the perpetrators were only warned not to repeat that act again.
Also a total of 11 per cent of the perpetrators were insulted by the victims and their friends while eight per cent were given ground work to perform by school authorities.
The research further advocated more policies that will help alleviate household poverty as five per cent of victims in the survey said they received cash compensations ranging from GH¢1.00 to GH¢ 25.00.
It further called for the strengthening of institutions mandated to address sexual abuse as about 87 per cent of the children sampled did not know of any institution that supported victims of sexual abuse.