Sexualization of Children

By B.P. Familara

I often hear in the news about rape cases involving the parent or other relatives of the victim.  Sexual abuses to the children almost reached in epidemic proportions. In every culture, we cannot hide the fact that pedophilia is present and happening. Many treat our child as a possession they think that they can do whatever they want to do to their child. No matter if it is already violating their human rights. But, the question is this, how we Filipino manage to hide its presence? Maybe our culture might be the answer.  We live in a society that strongly cares about what our neighbor say about us. We tend to hide us much as possible all the scandals or mistakes we have done to avoid to be the center of gossips and to protect our dignity.

Let’s see Sexualization of children in two perspectives.  First is in the viewpoints of the developed country and second in the developing country. In countries like America, and Japan, child prostitution is not because of poverty but because of the needs in material things. Long before, there was a cover of a Newsweek Magazine that places of interest in what it refers to “Japan’s dirty secret: Schoolgirls selling sex” that is known as enjo kosai (Assistance Friendship). According to the deputy director of Tokyo Metropolitan Police juvenile division as the Newsweek have quoted “It has to do with a longing of material things. It is not that they come from poor families who need to support themselves. They just want to have more and more” (PDI, 1996).  The greediness of material things and peer pressure brings them to prostitution just to get what they want.  Ours first came into public awareness in form of street-children of Matro Manila and the young boys of Pangsanjan (PDI, 1996). The recent news about this was broadcast on ABS-CBN on their TV Program Failon Ngayon that was air 2 years ago is about the boys in San Pedro town in Laguna province selling their bodies to homosexual for as low as 20 pesos. One boy has said that he is forced to allow himself to be used by gays for a very cheap price because he has no parents to depend on. Some are aware about the health risk regarding to that activities but they have no choice because they need money to buy food.

There was an incident in Belgium that results a large protest (300,000 people joined) that is known as White March against the sex crimes of children. It is the death of two young girls that was kidnapped and repeatedly raped by the kidnappers.  In the Philippines, I cannot remember that we have a large protest that condemns to any child abuses. Is our society ready to face and fight that problem that was rooted long before our forefathers?
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based on the article of the Philippine Daily Inquirer that was published last Dec. 29, 1996  with the same title