About 80 percent, or eight out of 10 Filipino children suffered some form of physical or psychological abuse with the highest number of incidents found among lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgender youth, a report by Philippine authorities and the United Nations Children’s Fund has pointed out.
The National Baseline Study on Violence Against Children (NBS-VAC) was undertaken in 2015 by the Department of Social Welfare and Development, Council for the Welfare of Children, National Youth Commission, Department of Education, Philippine National Police and UNICEF, reported Manila Bulletin.
The NBS-VAC reportedly surveyed 3,866 children and youth aged 13-24 and showed a high prevalence of violence against children even as the country is a signatory to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Children.
The rising number of cases of child maltreatment include abandonment and trafficking, rape and incest, bullying, and harm in armed conflict and disaster situations in the country, the report said.
It reportedly found that three in five Filipino children experience physical violence, especially at home, with boys twice more likely to experience severe physical violence.
Likewise, one in four Filipino children also experienced some form of sexual abuse, said the news portal.
The report noted that perpetrators vary according to the setting, with children most at risk of being hurt by family members at home, and by teachers in school.
One of the salient findings of the study is that most children do not report cases of physical and/or sexual abuse.
Only 10.1 percent of children disclosed they were physically abused, 11.8 percent reportedly said they were emotionally abused, while 11.8 percent disclosed they were sexually abused.
Also, of the 78 percent of respondents who said they would report cases of child abuse to authorities, less than one percent actually reported such incidents to the barangay, DSWD or PNP.
Out of the 13,245 children who consulted the child protection units from 2005–2015, 87 percent were sexually-abused girls, said the news portal.
The Philippines has emerged as a center for internet abuse of children, with the demand making online-child pornography a huge business in the country, Manila Bulletin quoted UNICEF representative Lotta Sylwander as saying.
Social welfare secretary Judy Taguiwalo reportedly said a National Plan of Action to End Violence Against Children is currently being developed as a response to the results and recommendations of the study, an indication of high-level commitment from the government and partner groups to combat violence against the youth.
