With Child sexual abuse in Nigeria reaching epidemic proportions, the Chief Executive Officer of CeCe Yara Foundation, Detutu Ajibodu, has urged school teachers to create a supportive atmosphere in their various schools that would enable children to feel comfortable speaking up and seeking help when needed.
Statistics available have shown that 1 in 4 girls and 1 in 10 boys are sexually abused before the age of 18 years. The already bad situation is complicated by the fact that only 4 per cent of the girls and 2 per cent of the boys in Nigeria receive help after experiencing sexual violence.
Speaking during a Two-Day Training Session on Child Abuse for over 200 School Teachers in Lagos, Detutu described child abuse as a deeply distressing issue that affects countless children worldwide.
According to Detutu, educators have the responsibility to be well-informed and equipped to identify and respond to any signs of abuse.
Represented by the Communication Director of The Cece Yara Foundation, Ms. Prisca Onuegbu, she lamented that most trusted adults live in denial of the abuse ever happening and actively cover it up or wish it away at the expense of the child's interest.
Noting that the vision of the Foundation was to provide a safe and happy childhood for every Nigerian child, she explained that the training was designed to provide the teachers with the necessary knowledge, tools, and strategies to address child abuse effectively.
She said the session covered various aspects of child abuse, including its different forms, warning signs, and reporting procedures.
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She said: "Remember, our role as educators extends beyond imparting knowledge; we have the power to make a lasting impact on the lives of our students. By familiarising ourselves with the signs of abuse and understanding how to intervene appropriately, we can help break the cycle of violence and provide a safe haven for our students to learn and thrive."
Also speaking, the training facilitator and Chief Operations Officer of the Foundation, Bisi Ajayi Kayode, said child abuse is a crime that is very difficult to detect.
Noting that child sexual abuse has gained the attention of international, national states, local governments and international donor agencies and is at the forefront to eradicate it, she said the training was to guide the teachers on how to profile a child that is being abused.
Kayode who is also a Lawyer by profession said it takes a long time before abusers are revealed due to their deceptive and wooing strategies to maintain control over the child.
She said parents should learn to teach their children sex education right from age two. "Tell them their vagina is the vagina and their penis is their penis. Watch out for paedophiles. There is no benchmark to identify them, they appear nice and want to control a child and sometimes they intimidate them.
They always render a helping hand. Tell the girls this is your vagina and tell the boys this is your penis. Don't give it other names. Learn the signs. Lagos state government is committed to ensuring child protection."
Kayode explained that effective protection of children from child sexual abuse requires adequate knowledge and skills.
