STOP ASSAULT

STAND UP. SPEAK OUT.

SEXUAL ASSAULT is an act in which a person sexually touches another person without that person's consent, or coerces or physically forces a person to engage in a sexual act against their will. It is a form of sexual violence which includes rape (forced vaginal, anal or oral penetration or drug facilitated sexual assault), groping, child sexual abuse or the torture of the person in a sexual manner.

Rape in the Philippines is considered a criminal offense. In Philippine jurisprudence, it is a heinous crime punishable by life imprisonment. — WIKIPEDIA

 

NPR—"Back in October 2017, women took to social media to share their experiences of sexual harassment. The #MeToo movement went viral, spurring a national and global discussion on the issue.

Many women have since come forward with their experiences of being sexually harassed by colleagues and bosses, costing influential men in the entertainment industry and the media — including journalists here at NPR — their jobs.

And yet, there has been little data collected on the national prevalence of sexual harassment, says Michele Decker, director of the women's health and rights program at Johns Hopkins School of Public Health. As a result, many people have asked, "Where's the evidence?" she says.

Now an online survey launched in January by a nonprofit called Stop Street Harassment offers some of that missing evidence. It found that 81 percent of women and 43 percent of men had experienced some form of sexual harassment during their lifetime."

MORE THAN 3/4 WOMEN HAVE BEEN VERBALLY HARASSED

That includes verbal forms of sexual harassment, like being catcalled or whistled at or getting unwanted comments of a sexual nature. It also includes physical harassment, cyber harassment and sexual assaults.

  WOMEN

Verbal Sexual Harassment - 77%

Unwelcome Sexual Touching - 51%

Cyber-sexual Harassment- 41%

Being Physically Followed - 34%

Unwanted Genital Flashing - 30%

Sexual Assault - 27%

 

  MEN

Verbal Sexual Harassment - 34%

Unwelcome Sexual Touching - 17%

Cyber-sexual Harassment- 22%

Being Physically Followed - 12%

Unwanted Genital Flashing - 12%

Sexual Assault - 7%

 

VICTIMS SUFFER FROM ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION

   WOMEN

Felt Anxious or Depressed - 31%

Changed their Route or Regular Routine - 23%

Ended a Relationship, such as Friendship or Romantic Relationship - 15%

Filed an Official Report to the Authority - 10%

Changed Jobs, Quit a Job, or Sought a New Job Assignment - 9%

Sought Medical Help, Including Mental Health Counseling - 7%

Stopped a Hobby/Activity, or Stopped Participating in a Community - 5%

Moved to a Different Form of Residence - 5%

Changed or Dropped Out of School - 2%

Confronted the Person - 1%

Others - 4%

 

  MEN

Felt Anxious or Depressed - 20%

Changed their Route or Regular Routine - 12%

Ended a Relationship, such as Friendship or Romantic Relationship - 12%

Filed an Official Report to the Authority - 5%

Changed Jobs, Quit a Job, or Sought a New Job Assignment - 5%

Sought Medical Help, Including Mental Health Counseling - 4%

Stopped a Hobby/Activity, or Stopped Participating in a Community - 3%

Moved to a Different Form of Residence - 2%

Changed or Dropped Out of School - 1%

Confronted the Person - 1%

Others - 5%

 

SEXUAL HARASSMENT BEGINS AT AN EARLY AGE

  WOMEN

0 - 5 yrs. old - 4%

6 -10 yrs. old - 10%

11 -13 yrs. old - 16%

14 -17 yrs. old - 27%

18 - 22 yrs. old - 15%

23 - 30 yrs. old - 6%

31 - 40 yrs. old - 4%

Older than 40 yrs. old - 2%

Don't Recall - 17%

 

  MEN

0 - 5 yrs. old - 1%

6 -10 yrs. old - 7%

11 -13 yrs. old - 14%

14 -17 yrs. old - 20%

18 - 22 yrs. old - 14%

23 - 30 yrs. old - 9%

31 - 40 yrs. old - 9%

Older than 40 yrs. old - 4%

Don't Recall - 21%

(SURVEY)

Source: Stop Street Harassment

Credit: Hilary Fung/NPR

 

 

Causes of sexual violence are debated and explanations of the cause include:

1. military conquest
2. socioeconomics
3. anger
4. power
5. sadism
6. sexual pleasure
7. psychopathy
8. ethical standards
9. laws
10. attitudes toward the victims
11. evolutionary pressures

 
Sexual violence is a serious problem that can have lasting, harmful effects on victims and their family, friends, and communities. The goal of sexual violence prevention is simple—to stop it from happening in the first place. The solutions, however, are just as complex as the problem.

Preventing sexual violence requires comprehensive prevention strategies that address factors at each level of the social ecology—individual, relationship, community, and society.

Most female victims of gang rape remain silent for months before reporting the crime. Obet Montes, coordinator for services of the women's group GABRIELA, says this is due to the victim’s fear of society’s judgment, of not wanting to be branded as a maruming babae (lit. dirty woman). They further state that oftentimes a rape victim becomes so afraid that she is going to be blamed for the crime that she denies that she was violated.

Claire Padilla, a lawyer and advocate of women's rights who prosecuted the case of a 19-year-old who had the mental capacity of a six-year-old, says that a rape victim who keeps silent becomes easy prey for continued abuse.

PNP and DSWD
The Philippine National Police and Department of Social Welfare and Development both maintain help desks to assist victims of violence against women and to encourage the reporting of crimes. With the assistance of NGOs, officers received gender sensitivity training to deal with victims of sexual crimes and domestic violence. Approximately seven to eight percent of PNP officers were women. The PNP has a Women and Children's Unit to deal with these issues.

Non-governmental organizations
The women’s group GABRIELA provides counseling for battered women, rape victims and other victims of violence against women. The Bathaluman Crisis Centre Foundation helps victims of rape and incest. The Support Group Volunteers provide assistance, and psychological interventions may also be initiated at the centre. Where appropriate, cases are referred to other agencies for more specialist assistance. The Women's Crisis Centre (WCC) provides temporary shelter, medical assistance and advocacy, legal assistance and advocacy, and stress management, it has two particularly innovative components - Feminist Counselling, and a Survivors Support Group to rape victims.

 

 

Reference and Source:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rape_in_the_Philippines#Prevention​

https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/sexualviolence/prevention.html​

https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2018/02/21/587671849/a-new-survey-finds-eighty-percent-of-women-have-experienced-sexual-harassment​

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sexual_assault