Philippine Journal of Child Sexual Abuse – Volume 7, 2017
“What about us?”: An initial literature review of research on boys
by Lois J. Engelbrecht, PhD
Abstract
In order to prevent the sexual abuse of children we must first understand the issue within the appropriate context. There are very many pieces to the whole puzzle of child sexual abuse and not all pieces are covered. One of those missing pieces is to understand our boys.This paper is an attempt to synthesize what research we have in the Philippines with a focus on our work with boys to increase our understanding of our adult male sexual offenders. This paper hopes to bring together what research we do have to design a proactive response to prevent child sexual
abuse. Findings suggest that our boys experience neglect that is often perceived as freedom, a neglect that could be a major factor in why our boys are more at-risk to be abused and to develop inappropriate sexual and other aggressive behavior.
A baseline study on the vulnerabilities of street-involved boys to sexual exploitation in Manila, Philippines
by Jarrett Davis, MA and Glenn Miles, PhD
Abstract
This report presents outcomes and key discussion from research conducted among street-involved boys in Manila, Philippines. The research provides a baseline of information and an initial analysis of their key needs, vulnerabilities, and potential resiliencies and aims to initiate a more nuanced and informed discussion on a male vulnerability of street involved youth in the Philippines for social service providers, policy makers, child-protection advocates, and social researchers.
The study partnered with social workers from three local NGOs in Manila to conduct 51 in-depth, structured interviews with street involved boys who at the time of the study were living and/or working on the streets of Manila. The ages of respondents in the study ranged from 10-19 years of age, with a mean age of 14. The interviews focused
on a number of key areas of their lives including: demographics, social and family relationships, financial security, sexual history, instances of violence and sexual abuse, health, emotional well-being, and future plans.
This broad range of data was used to assess present and potential vulnerabilities to various forms of violence with a particular focus on sexual exploitation and abuse.
The research uncovered significant and pressing vulnerabilities among street-involved boys toward sexual and physical violence and found such forms of violence to be a common, and sometimes frequent, reality of life for street-involved boys in Manila. The majority of boys, 65% (33 boys), disclosed experiences of at least some form of sexual violence on the streets or within their communities. This includes, 49% who reported being shown pornography by adults in their communities or in the areas in which they lived and worked, 47% who cited sexual touching by adults and 27% who cited instances in which adults committed sexual acts with them that went beyond just touching. Physical violence, including some brutal accounts were commonly reported to come from police officers, parents, and peers within their communities. This research attempts to define and add nuance to the often little-known needs and vulnerabilities of street-involved boys in Manila and provide recommendations for program development, future research, and continued vigilance against the sexual exploitation and abuse of vulnerable groups of children
in the Philippines.
Excerpts of the Report of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights: A summary of stakeholders’ submissions – the Philippines
This report was prepared pursuant to Human Rights Council resolutions 5/1 and 16/21, taking into consideration the periodicity of the universal periodic review. It is a summary of 53 stakeholders’ submissions to the universal periodic review, presented in a summarized manner.
BOOK REVIEW
Ladrido-Ignacio & Tronco, (2016). Transforming Lives: Mental Health Care of the Community. Philippine Psychiatric Association
Reviewed by Emily Palma