Impacts on Early Emotional Development

I chose to investigate Latin America and the Caribbean. The country in this region that I chose to focus on was Jamaica.

” In the Caribbean region, sexual violence against children is greatly underreported, and this abuse is often culturally sanctioned. A study in Jamaica indicated that men often believe they have a right to engage in sex with girls under their care, while children in Guyana reported believing that sexual violence can be blamed on a victim’s clothing. Sexual violence against boys is especially underreported, and in some countries, is not even recognized as a crime.” (Hahn 2012 retrieved from http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/jamaica_62479.html) Though child sexual abuse is hidden in shame, it is reported that around 150 million girls and 73 million boys around the world have experienced sexual intercourse and sexual violence. (Hahn 2012 retrieved from http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/jamaica_62479.html)

“Sexual abuse robs children of their childhood and creates a loss of trust, feelings of guilt and self abusive behavior. It can lead to anti-social behavior, depression, identity confusion, loss of self esteem, and other serious emotional problems.”(American Humane Association retrieved from http://www.americanhumane.org/children/stop-child-abuse/fact-sheets/child-sexual-abuse.html

Thankfully, I was not a victim of child sexual abuse, but I have been around people who have experienced this trauma. I have seen the pain it has caused them as they grew from a child to a adult and how difficult it was for them to maintain relationships of with the opposite sex. I can only imagine what they were going through as children having to hide such a horrific secret. As an early childhood professional, no one wants to think one of their students could ever be a victim of this kind of crime. It is important that we stay aware of some of the signs a child being abused may be exhibiting. The American Humane Association website (http://www.americanhumane.org/children/stop-child-abuse/fact-sheets/child-sexual-abuse.html) has a list of signs that a child may be experiencing sexual abuse on their website categorized by age group. I think the best thing a teacher could do in this situation is let the child know that they trust and believe them.