Muscat: Family’s silence about sexual harassment destroys child’s personality and helps the perpetrator, warns Dr Muna al Shukaili, Pediatric and Adolescent Consultant Psychiatrist at Al Masarra Hospital
She said that it is the duty of parents to educate their children about the issue of harassment and its signs, and make them feel safe so that they can talk about it comfortably and thus help resolve the problem before it deepens.
She also noted that parents must take the issue seriously and not neglect it. “There are many things that parents should do to detect the problem as a first step towards a solution. One of the things that must be undertaken by a parent is to convince him/her that it is possible to handle the situation. The parent must report the incident to child protection authorities by calling1100. Finally, a specialist consultation is advisable because it is not for the child to forget about the painful events at an early age. On the contrary, this may lead to other psychological problems as she or he gets older."
The doctor made these comments as part of a campaign against sexual harassment of children launched by the Gulf Health Council entitled "Not ignorable."
According to the council, 90 per cent of cases of pedophilia cases occur within the child's immediate circle.
Dr. Muna mentioned that harassment has many forms and does not require physical contact between the culprit and the child. It may be indecent gestures or words, inappropriate touches or online a harassment.
“As a conservative society there are challenges on reporting child abuse cases if the culprit is from within the family circles. The family in this case suffers from extreme confusion. Do they report or stay silent? The second question that will haunt this family: would the investigations and other procedures be conducted in secret? Yes, the family of the child victim can ask the court for a closed trial. Not reporting the case is not desirable if whatever because the interest of the child must be above all other interest,” she said.
“As a doctor, I believe that reporting sexual abuse is the first step of treatment. When he or she feels there are people who can help overcome this problem, he or she will be able to deal with this traumatic event and its psychological effects.”
In the Sultanate, child sexual abuse cases are rising with 193 cases in 2018 compared to 95 cases in 2017.
Article 56 of the Omani Child Law prohibits the rape, indecent assault, or sexual harassment of children. Article 72 says the punishment of those who commit these crimes by imprisonment is for a period of not less than 5 years and not more than 15 years. The fine is not less than RO 5,000 and not more than RO 10,000.
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