Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Steps under way to check child sexual abuse

CHENNAI: England’s experience in equipping head teachers and chairs of school governors with a detailed understanding of offending (child sexual abuse) behaviours has furthered the aim of making it as difficult as possible for the offender to succeed, Jonathan Picken, chair, British Association for the Study and Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect, said here on Friday.

Mr. Picken, who has a great deal of experience in mobilising multi-disciplinary consortiums to safeguard children and their rights, said that the training for teachers and school governors aims at equipping participants with a detailed understanding of offending behaviour.

This knowledge is applied to existing processes of recruitment, Mr. Pickens said at the 3rd Annual Tulir – CPHCSA lecture on “Understanding Offending Behaviours – applying new knowledge to processes of safer recruitment.” In its first phase, it will be applied to schools, but it is hoped that in subsequent phases, other children’s services sectors would be covered, he added. The idea behind the training programme rests on the theory that most abusers seek professions that will allow them to have access to a child.

The first step for the organisation would be to deter those looking for employment in order to abuse children and young people. Referring to the 2002 Soham Murders, where two school girls were killed by a school caretaker, Mr. Picken said that the offender had been vetted and had even cleared the Criminal Records Bureau check when he was hired. It turned out that he had committed many acts of abuse against children earlier, but had been convicted in none.

The training will enable school managements to reject candidates who may be unsuitable to work with children and young people.

Participants are also encouraged to remain vigilant, following up on the recent recruits and ensuring the safety of children, by preventing abuse from occurring. Also, schools should be careful not only with perpetrators but also with others who may not actually abuse children, but become complicit by providing an enabling environment with their silence.

Profiling perpetrators, Mr. Picken said that over 92 per cent were aware of their interest by 21 years. A further 67.5 per cent had actually offended; and 15 per cent chose a career that would help them abuse children. They also suffer from low self esteem, emotional immaturity and low self-efficacy, and abusing children gives them a sense of power and control.

They force the child, physically coercing him or her; or through bribery, threats and emotional blackmail.

Most perpetrators also redefine the act and use technology, (images of children being sexually abused, available on the net), to ‘normalise’ the experience for the child.

One of the major difficulties in reporting such crimes is the fact that only a small number of children will tell others about their abuse. Mr. Picken added that good practice models may help increase the likelihood of disclosure.

Prabha Sridevan, judge, Madras High Court, said that the tradition and culture of silence surrounding child sexual abuse was devastating.

Referring to offending teachers being transferred to other schools and being allowed to work with children again, she suggested that a good network be formed among schools to share such information. Vidya Reddy of Tulir, also spoke.

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