New Telegraph

Adolescence: Seeking an end to monster of abuse

Adolescence is a very critical and sensitive stage in the development of a child. It is the developmental transition to adulthood that includes rapid changes in the brain and body, often at different rates and is a time for healthy exploration of identity and learning independence. It can also be stressful or challenging for teens because of these rapid changes. It is during adolescence that the teenager experiences sexual behaviour with girls mostly exposed to danger. Most of them are raped or defiled by either their relatives or outsiders.

Sexual violence

Adolescent rape in Ebonyi State is very high. The state’s Deputy Coordinator, Gender-Based Taskforce, Rev. Flora Egwu said the rate of sexual violence against adolescents in the state is roughly 60/65 per cent. Egwu disclosed this to our correspondent during this year’s International Adolescent Health Week with the theme: “With And for Adolescents: Building A healthier And Inclusive future For Them”. There were sensitisation programmes for some selected adolescents in the state which was organised by Integrated Health Policy (IHP) of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in the state. Egwu disclosed that on a daily basis, the Gender Based Violence (GBV) taskforce receives cases of rape, sexual harassment and abuse of all forms on adolescents in their homes. She also said that the menace is even getting worse with more cases of fathers raping their daughters and that the father-daughter rape was very high, adding that the GBV taskforce has handled three of such cases.

Rising cases

According to her, in the month of March this year, the taskforce recorded eight cases of GBV and out of which, six were sexual abuse on adolescents while in February, the taskforce recorded 14 cases of sexual abuse out of which 10 were against adolescents. “We have taken a lot of them to the court. Some of them are still pending. Only one of the courts has been able to dispense some cases. “The Gender Based taskforce is the brainchild of Integrated Health Policy (IHP) of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). In 2020, they came up with it and the VAPP Law was domesticated in Ebonyi State in 2018 but when the GBV taskforce was birthed through the help of IHP, we worked, we pushed and there was an amendment of the VAPP Law whereby the taskforce is entrenched in the amended Ebonyi State VAPP Law. So, we have official power to operate in the state. “The rate of GBV violence in the state as it concerns adolescents is very high. We can say about 60/65 per cent as it concerns adolescents because on daily basis, we have cases of rape, cases of sexual harassment, cases of abuse of all forms on adolescents; adolescents in their homes. These days we have in Ebonyi State where fathers rape their daughters. It is very high in Ebonyi State. At least, the GBV taskforce has handled three of such cases.

Gang-rape

“Then cases of rape outside the immediate household, gang rape is also very high. They come to use on daily basis and coincidentally, I work with the National Obstetric Fistula Centre in the state where we have the one stop centre for women and girls where we treat cases of sexual abuse free of charge. Anyone who comes there to report cases of sexual abuse or any other form of violence are treated free of cost courtesy of the medical director. “Last month (March), we had eight cases of GBV and out of the eight cases; six were sexual abuse on our adolescents. In month of February, we had 14 cases of sexual abuse and out of which10 were sexual against juveniles,” she stated.

Special court

Egwu called for a GBV court in the state where cases of Gender- Based Violence (GBV) will be dispensed with fiat instead of conventional courts where cases of the violence have been dragging which has been forcing parents of victims to withdraw cases against suspects. She identified safe shelter where victims of the sexual abuse will be housed to avoid being threatened or even killed by the suspects as major challenge the taskforce is facing in the cases of GBV in the state. She urged adolescents to always be assertive and speak up whenever they are violated to enable them get justice. “When we were amending the Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Law, we asked the House of Assembly to oblige us GBV court where cases of GBV will be dispensed with fiat, not these conventional court where the case may drag and because of that, a lot of the parents get fed up with the whole thing and they drop out of prosecuting the case. “The major challenges we have in handling these cases is that we do not have a safe shelter where we move these children from the scene and keep them there for custody and safety. When we handle the cases and they still go back to their homes, by the next time we want to push the case to the court, they would have brainwashed the child, threatened the child, put fear into them and the next thing, the frightened child will withdraw. So, that is one major challenge we have and with what is happening we encourage them that they should not in any way be intimidated. They should stand up for their rights, be assertive, speak up and speak out.”

Sensitisation

Okoro Rosegold Chinwendu, the Desk Officer for Adolescent Health and Development in the state Ministry of Health said the ministry has sensitised adolescents on the need to abstain from sex till they get married or get protected from sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and unwanted pregnancies if they must have sex. She regretted that adolescents over the years are left without counselling which has made a lot of them to fall into problems and lamented that there are many baby mothers today in the society faced with inability to care for their children because they became mothers by accident. “Over the years, these adolescents are left on their own.

Adolescents are at a stage they cannot help themselves. Over the years, these adolescents are left on their own. “We are giving positive messages to our adolescents so that they will receive positive information on how they will live their lives and grow to be better adults. We have sensitised these adolescents. We were in Evangelical Church of West Africa (ECWA) Church New Layout and we met over 80 adolescents. We were there to tell them to say no to early marriage and to child marriage. We told them that they have their reproductive rights wherever they are and we made those of them that are sexually active to know that they can use protection.

Some parents did not want to hear this but we made them know that they should protect themselves from Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) and of course unintended pregnancies. “Over the years, these adolescents are left on their own. Adolescence is a stage where they cannot help themselves, they are not a baby and they are not an adult and we the parents are telling them you are still a baby and on your own. However, they don’t want you to call them babies. So, they are struggling with that situation. The theme of this year’s event is: ‘With And For Adolescents: Building a Healthier And Inclusive Future For Them’. So, this year’s theme is geared towards including them in every of their activities and let them be part of the programme concerning them.

Juveniles speak

One of the juveniles, Roseline Ikechukwu said: “I have learnt a lot of things that will help me in life. I will share what I have learnt with my mates. I have already started telling them about it, I started in my school last week. I have not been abused and I don’t pray to be abused. I feel bad when I see young girls abused. It is a very bad thing and it is a serious challenge adolescents are passing through today.” Another adolescent, Sylvester Ewuru said: “In my school, I experienced most of the things that teenagers are facing. Most times, girls disturb me trying to know if they can get my attention but the training I have been passing through here has helped me to have self-control and control my emotion. It has helped me a lot and it has made me not to fall into temptation.”

Read Previous

Our husband was killed while rescuing kidnap victims –Widows

Read Next

OPEC: Nigeria’s March inflation jumps to 17-year high

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *