On the International Day for the Prevention of Sexual Violence against Children and Adolescents, celebrated on November 19, the Santos Dumont Institute (ISD), in partnership with the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN), promoted the Forum on Sexual Violence in Children and Adolescents, at the Anita Garibaldi Health Education and Research Center (CEPS), in Macaíba/RN (Programming HERE).
The event brought together professionals from the areas of health, education, law and public policy management, as well as representatives of civil society, in a round table to discuss this complex reality that affects children and adolescents. One of the people present was the Councilor Divaneide Basilio, president of the Commission for Human Rights, Protection of Women, Elderly, Labor and Minorities of the Natal City Council, which made the legislative house of the capital of Rio Grande do Norte available to contribute to the debate and actions related to the topic.
Participants were able to discuss the skills, attitudes and knowledge needed to address this issue in the workshop “Common skills for interprofessional practice in caring for victims of sexual violence”.
Artistic presentations also helped to provoke reflections on the topic among the public: Oikos Foundation, which serves socially vulnerable children and adolescents in Macaíba, presented a theatrical adaptation of the story “Little Red Riding Hood”, which in this case represented a story of sexual abuse.
Already the Adolescent Citizenship Center (NUCA), from the municipality of Touros (RN), presented the performance “Dreams of a clown, a humanized look” and the poet Edcarlos de Oliveira França, aged 10, recited his poem “A sexual abuse”.
Numbers show worrying situation
In Brazil, children and adolescents are victims in more than 76,000 reports received by Dial 100, 17,093 of which refer to sexual violence, according to information released in May 2019 by the Ministry of Women, Family and Human Rights. According to the Dial 100 database, in 2018 Rio Grande do Norte had 313 reports of cases of sexual abuse and sexual exploitation against children and adolescents. “I reiterate that the size and magnitude of this problem require each of us to be part of this coping strategy”, highlighted the General Director of ISD and Professor at UFRN, Reginaldo Freitas Junior in speech during the event.
In closing, he also drew attention to the importance of participants' engagement in continuing this discussion: “We gained multipliers who are people who leave the event capable of exercising citizenship in this aspect as well”, he stated.
Service:
In case of reports of abuse or sexual violence against children and adolescents, dial 100. The service is free, anonymous and operates 24 hours a day. For more information access: https://www.mdh.gov.br/informacao-ao-cidadao/disque-100
Text: Dandarah Filgueira – Journalism Intern / Ascom – ISD
Communication Office
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Santos Dumont Institute (ISD)
Social organization that maintains ties with the Ministry of Education (MEC) and whose mission is to promote education for life, forming citizens through integrated teaching, research and extension actions and to contribute to a fairer and more humane transformation of the Brazilian social reality.
