Faizel Patel, Radio Islam News – 18-05-2017
The Teddy Bear Clinic says South Africa is continuing to face the scourge of young children being raped for the past sixteen years and it’s increasing on a daily basis.
This comes after a Grade 2 girl at a primary school in Randburg had been raped, allegedly by three Grade 7 boys.
It is believed that the rape took place on the school premises in April.
Gauteng education MEC Panyaza Lesufi has expressed concern over the attack.
The boys, all minors, were arrested and released into the care of their parents while the investigation is underway.
The Teddie Bear Clinic’s Dr Shaheda Omar told Radio Islam that while there are many risk factors that may be responsible for the rape of young children, society has become desensitised to the culture of violence.
Omar says the access to technology, social media including advertisements on television and magazines are major risks that will continue to advance at a pace which cannot be controlled.
“Sexualised behaviour has become glamourized. But even the sexualised violence seems to depict an elements of eroticisation and grandiosity and children are often bombarded with these images and do not always have the capacity to process this content and information that has been relayed.”
Omar says child rape occurs nationally on a daily basis.
“This is a widespread problem where we are finding that just under 50% of sexual assault are committed by children against children.”
Omar says while its gravely concerning that a lot of violent sexual behaviours are orchestrated behind closed doors, parents and schools must implement prevention programmes on equipping and educating children on what is acceptable and non-acceptable behaviour.
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