Boys too are Sexually Abuse and Exploited
There is limited understanding of the scale and scope of sexual abuse that takes place to boys or how they came into these situations and what their needs are. There are NGOs and child protection agencies working to address the sexual exploitation but focused mainly on women and girls, leaving boys to fend for themselves, or worse, seen only as perpetrators. Male survivor advocates at the 2016 Global Survivors Forum, explained that even where agencies may include male victims in their work, there is limited focus on addressing the specific characteristics, experiences and responses of boys independently from girls. It might be due to prejudices against boy victims perceived as being homosexual or referring them to LGBTI community.
Girls have long been assumed to be the main target of sexual predators yet internationally it has been reported that 1 in 6 boys are sexually abused before the age of 18 years and but we do not have research data in Nepal’s contexts, may be the sexual exploitation of boys might be greater than for girls. The vulnerability of boys to sexual abuse and exploitation was particularly highlighted as an ‘often hidden problem’. It similarly found that the context that makes both boys and girls vulnerable to sexual exploitation is tied to stereotypical social norms about gender, which in the case of boys, views them as invulnerable to sexual exploitation. This assumption of male invulnerability means that boys’ involvement in sexual exploitation continues to go largely undetected and unaddressed. The few existing studies on this form of abuse have shown that boys more often tend to be involved in street-based prostitution, selling sex online, or at public places such as parks and AES.
Boys who are homosexual or transgender and unable to comply with social norms that expect heterosexuality, may attempt to keep their preference hidden by engaging in sex with male tourists, travellers or other strangers, opening them up to exploitation.
Of growing concern is that the sexual exploitation of children is being greatly facilitated by online technology. In addition to sexually abusive practices targeting boys in a number of offline environments, gender-specific threats now challenge the safety of the majority of the boys as child participation online rises. There is evidence that new forms of sexual exploitation of boys have been emerging online, an environment where, in fact, boys’ behaviour has been found to be particularly risky. Contrarily to girls, boys self-generate material mainly unprompted.
Activities:
1. Awareness programs and Campaigns
a. Audio Visual for Radio and TV
2. Developing IEC materials and distributions
