Do we truly value our children?
A reflection as we end Child Protection Week
The adage ‘you measure what you value’ rings true. While the government diligently monitors economic indicators like growth and unemployment, the same diligence isn't extended to child protection. Shockingly, the last comprehensive measure of child sexual abuse dates back four years to the 2019/2020 statistics.
Available statistics paint a grim picture. Over 40% of all sexual abuse cases reported in South Africa relate to children - a shocking statistic begging an urgent response, and yet in very few reports is child rape listed as a separate number and seemingly never broken down by age. According to the South African Police Service (SAPS) Crime Statistics of 2019/2020, a child falls victim to sexual abuse every 12 minutes in our country1. However, these figures underestimate the true prevalence, failing to account for cases with multiple perpetrators or repeated abuse against a single victim.
Underreporting further exacerbates the issue, with estimates suggesting that around 1 in 10 cases are brought to the attention of authorities.2 This, coupled with the knowledge that many children experience repeat abuse, suggests that it would be more accurate to speculate that at least one child is sexually abused every minute in South Africa.
The Optimus Study, spanning three years and conducted by the University of Cape Town and the Centre for Justice and Crime Prevention, found that one in three children in the study had experienced some form of sexual abuse by age 15-17, with many subjected to repeated victimisation. The study also found that boys were equally susceptible to such abuse- in fact, slightly more susceptible. This finding is not unique - 2 out of 5 male learners admitted to being raped in a study of 127 000 boys reported in 2008.4
This is not only about improving safety in the home. As the ReStory Foundation, an NPO dealing with many cases of neglect and abuse, we have found there are significant improvements needed by police, justice and social development bodies. Two of the many examples that we have experienced are police marching a violent rapist directly past the 7-year-old victim after she had identified him behind one-way glass and a five-year-old boy with bowel incontinence from rape still isolated away from family and friends for safety 2 years later while his rapist roams the community on bail. It appears that the norm for a suspected rapist is R1500 for bail after just 4 weeks in prison, rather than bail being an anomaly as it should be for a schedule 6 offense.
Childhood exposure to violence not only scars victims but perpetuates a cycle of trauma that manifests in various societal ills, from substance abuse to perpetuated violence, often across generations. Victims without access to trauma support are not able to develop the agency and growth mindset necessary to thrive and succeed.
In addition to the crippling impact on individuals and families, violence against children can decrease potential, productivity and quality of life – reducing economic growth and hindering a nation’s full development. Save the Children's 2017 estimate of the financial cost of physical and emotional violence against children in South Africa was a staggering R238.58 billion, equivalent to 6% of South Africa's GDP in 2015.
As Child Protection Week comes to an end, the ReStory Foundation urges South Africans to do their part in challenging their party representatives to ensure our government prioritises the safety of our children. Watch a poignant message from our children https://youtu.be/1jL9IMfX2fQ shared before elections that highlights this.
Day 8/8
Notes:
1. 23 070 reports of child sexual abuse in 2019/2020 according to SAPS statistics, as listed in ‘SAPS Crime Statistics 2019 – 2020: Contact and Sexual Crimes against women and children’ 07 August 2020.
2. As reported in page 12 in The Optimus Study on Child Abuse, Violence and Neglect in South Africa (2015), produced by the University of Cape Town and the Centre for Justice and Crime Prevention (Authors: Patrick Burton, Catherine L Ward, Lillian Artz and Lezanne Leoschut
3. See Note 2. Page 36 and 37.
4. This study was conducted in South Africa in 2002 and 2003 and published in BioMed Central’s International Journal for Equity in Health. It involved 127 000 boys. The survey, carried out in 1 200 schools across the country, asked 127 000 boys aged between 10 and 19 if they had ever been sexually abused. Mail & Guardian 29 July, 2008.
