(IN)DELICATE ISSUE: PREVENTION OF CHILD SEXUAL VIOLENCE AND SEX EDUCATION

Abstract

The urgency of the need to increase the educational community’s attention to the problem of sexual violence against children is due to its hidden nature – it is extremely difficult to establish the exact number of victims. The purpose of the study is to analyze the theoretical aspects of the problem of sexual violence against children; to characterize the potential opportunities of sex education in terms of preventing sexual violence against children. Research methods: literature analysis, systematization, synthesis, consistent methodological approach to presentation. The key aspects of the novelty of the study are the interpretation of sex education as a tool for preventing sexual violence against children and the emphasis on its role in shaping children’s ideas about personal boundaries and consent. The practical significance of the study lies in the fact that what is presented in it can be useful for teachers of secondary education institutions and lecturers of higher education institutions. It has been found that the problem of sexual violence against children is very difficult to describe, since only a small percentage of the total number of incidents is registered and recorded, and additional complexity is caused by the high dynamics of the spread of the problem and the rapid scaling of its consequences. A number of factors are described that influence the interpretation of the concept of «child sexual abuse» and the ability to identify behavior that is considered sexual abuse. The conceptual principles of the Council of Europe Convention on the Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse are highlighted. The approaches to defining the concept of «sexual violence against children» declared in international and domestic legislative documents are analyzed. One of the classifications of forms of sexual violence against a child is presented. Characteristic symptoms (somatic, psychosomatic, psychological, behavioral) that may indicate that a child has been sexually abused are described. The role of parents in ensuring the protection of children from sexual violence is emphasized. It is noted that the purpose of sex education is to form in children ideas about their own boundaries, safe and dangerous touches, and to form a culture of consent and mutual respect, the preventive function of sex education is characterized. The content of the manual «Teach your child to defend themselves» is briefly described. It is concluded that the result of comprehensively implemented sex education is the child’s personalized knowledge about recognizing dangers, establishing personal boundaries, and the concept of consent.