PART 1
By Toyin Falola
Sexual abuse is often seen as an offense committed by one individual against another. But what happens when the institution responsible for protecting the victim contributes to the problem? What happens when a child reports abuse at home and is silenced, discloses the same at school and is advised to keep the institution’s name untarnished, and receives medical care without any psychological help? These questions formed the focus of the Toyin Falola Interviews Panel discussion on sexual abuse.
One of the key ideas of the discussion belongs to Dr. Ayodeji Ajayi, who claimed that the problem of child sexual abuse should not be approached as a set of separate criminal offenses. Rather, it should be seen as a systemic problem involving the home, school, healthcare, psychological support, and public policy. This means we cannot focus only on the offender as the cause of the problem. More importantly, it shows that preventing sexual abuse means finding out the reasons why institutions surrounding vulnerable individuals fail to protect them.
In this dialogue, the idea of home appears particularly important, as home is normally perceived as a place of care, security, and comfort. At the same time, the panelists challenge this perception and suggest that it does not guarantee an individual’s security. Ajayi argues that children can suffer abuse by the individuals they know and trust, such as relatives, neighbors, teachers, or even religious figures. Ajayi’s suggestion highlights the conflict between the trust children place in adults and the vulnerability that results. Thus, the child needs the adult for many things, such as shelter, food, education, affection, and contact with other family members. The problem is that disclosing information about the abuse can be very difficult in these cases, as the abuser is a family member or a person who has a lot of power over them.
Ms. Ibiba Odil also argues that children should be taught to recognize personal boundaries. She pointed out that children need to be taught from childhood, with age-appropriate explanations. Thus, children should know the names of their body parts and the areas no one can touch. This suggestion challenges the idea that an adult-child relationship gives the former unlimited access to the latter’s body. Odili says that seemingly harmless actions can be used by abusers to prepare victims and make them comfortable with the abuse. For example, she cites adults who address little girls as ‘my wife’ or compliment them in particular ways. Her point is that we don’t need to treat every compliment or familiar gesture from adults as suspicious, but we should pay attention to the intention behind them. What is interesting is that the suggestion is practical, as it raises the question of how to teach children to distinguish suspicious adult behavior.
When discussing the problems of sexual abuse, the panelists touch upon the problem of traditions and social expectations. Dr. Adetolu Isaac Olatunde says that some behavior may be considered acceptable but later identified as abusive. This point matters because it challenges the idea that cultural practices are immune to criticism. The point is not whether the particular cultural practice is harmful. The question is whether familiarity with the practice blurs the understanding of coercion, inequalities, and violations of personal boundaries. Those who suffer from these practices might find it difficult to recognize abuse, while those who practice it see nothing wrong with it. Therefore, Olatunde’s suggestion can be interpreted as follows: people need education to prevent such situations.
Dr. Lucas Koyejo expands the focus of the discussion beyond childhood abuse. He says that sexual abuse can include various kinds of sexual misconduct, such as coercive behavior in the workplace, where one can be afraid of losing their job or career prospects because of refusing it. Moreover, he adds that sexual assault can happen even within a marital relationship, which means that a consensual relationship is not a guarantee that there would be no sexual abuse. Thus, it becomes clear that sexual abuse has to do with unequal relationships that allow influencing the individual’s actions. It does not mean that the sole cause of the problem under consideration is the existence of patriarchal society. However, the suggestions of the panelists show the practices and expectations that allow sexual misconduct and complicate the process of its identification.
As mentioned above, it becomes problematic when institutions fail to protect children in such situations. For instance, Ajayi describes how schools treat the disclosure of sexual abuse. He points out that institutions try to hide the fact of abuse at home, as the administrators or the representatives of the school community are afraid that the news can harm the reputation of the institution. There is a contradiction between these institutions’ duties and the school’s approach. Schools are meant to provide a safe and comfortable environment for learning. However, if the school prioritizes preserving its reputation, it fails to fulfill its basic responsibilities. The school can look good and respectable on the surface, but the child suffers in silence. Thus, the problem is not in the abuser, who can live within the institution, but in the fact that other individuals remain silent about it.
As an example, Ajayi presents a hypothetical situation: a 12-year-old girl was allegedly sexually abused by a member of her extended family. In this case, she confides in her class teacher, but is told to be quiet. Then the child has difficulties concentrating in class, avoids school, experiences nightmares, and wets her bed. Going to see the doctor, she gets medical help, but there is no screening or assessment of the child’s psychological state. She returns to the same environment where she experiences sexual abuse, and the situation develops into a severe mental health problem. The example is used to show how the problems related to disclosure of sexual abuse can add to each other: the initial sexual abuse is followed by ineffective response of the institution, incomplete examination in the healthcare institution, and failure to protect the child from the environment that caused harm.
Thus, the example shows how people often blame the child for behavioral problems without considering the child’s situation. As Ajayi notes, the disturbed children are often identified as problematic ones instead of getting psychological help and protection. In this way, the problem becomes exacerbated: instead of receiving help, the child is accused of her problematic behavior caused by sexual abuse. Ajayi claims that the problem of sexual abuse is not confined to institutions. It includes such aspects as public policies and the problems associated with them. He cites the Child Rights Act of 2003, which was domesticated in about 34 states but lacks adequate funding and implementation.
At the same time, Ajayi notes that there is a lack of safe residential or foster care options for children who cannot stay at home as they face abuse from the parent or other members of the family. This becomes a problem because reporting the case means little if the child has nowhere else to go. Therefore, beyond protection and examination, the child needs a safe place to live. Healthcare is another point of vulnerability. In this case, Ajayi distinguishes treatment of physical problems from addressing the psychological trauma of the child. Thus, he says the child can receive treatment for infections or injuries without screening for psychological problems. He also notes the shortage of resources and the high cost of psychological assistance. There is another problem: such help is unavailable in rural areas. The lack of necessary resources means families cannot access help.
Dr. Koyejo adds that a lack of social support can discourage families from pursuing justice. He talks about situations in which families are afraid of the economic consequences of reporting an abusive member of the family. He mentions that, in such cases, other relatives may also depend on that person. In addition, he describes cases where people pressure families to withdraw complaints and even pay for it. The child needs protection, medical help, psychological support, education, and residential assistance. Without all of this, speaking out can be too costly for the child and the family. Therefore, the question here is not whether the country has laws against sexual abuse or whether its citizens disapprove of it. The question is whether the institutions surrounding the victim can provide protection and help.
Thus, the main conclusion that we can draw is that the problem of sexual abuse cannot be solved only by punishing the offenders. Of course, accountability plays an important role here. However, we also need to provide the right conditions for disclosure and protection. Parents must take children’s concerns seriously; schools must prioritize children’s safety; healthcare providers must assess children psychologically as well as medically; and public authorities must provide the necessary services.
The most troubling part is that the child can face several problems at once: sexual abuse, neglect by the family, reluctance of the school, limited healthcare, and lack of public protection. It makes disclosure and protection difficult. A commitment of a society to protect children can be seen not only in the legislation and outrage, but also in the way it deals with the child’s first attempt to say something, the school’s response to it, medical help, and the way in which the family decides whether to prosecute the offender.
