KUCHING: The ongoing ‘Child Protection Advocacy Programme: Love for Children’ initiative which aims to tackle child sexual abuse and harassment through educational initiatives has exceeded expectations.
According to Women, Family, and Community Development Minister, Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri, the goal was to target 300 schools this year and that the advocacy programme’s reach had already hit 109 per cent.
“Even though the goal exceeded our expectations, we will not stop because there are over 10,000 schools in Malaysia.
“This is a comprehensive effort, and our advocacy will continue as long as these cases exist. We will not stop, especially in instances of sexual harassment against children or anyone else,” she said here today.
She said that with with the advancement of technology, there are now numerous ways for abuses or sexual harassment cases to go unnoticed.
“What we see in our reports comes only from those who choose to come forward. Sadly, many cases remain hidden, often involving close family members such as fathers, uncles, even siblings and many occur within the home, making them even harder to address.
“It’s easier to handle cases reported from outside the home, but within families, it’s often hidden because victims or witnesses may feel too ashamed to report,” she said.
She added that besides education to address this, new Community-Based Organisations (CBOs) are being set up across districts to provide trusted local contacts for reporting.
“Our aim is to create a network where anyone can safely report, even if they choose not to go directly to the police,” she said, noting that the directory is still in progress and will be highly localised for easy access.
In addition to CBOs, she highlighted the availability of the 15999 hotline for reporting and mobile One-Stop Social Support Centre (PSSS) for those who feel disturbed or mentally troubled.
“We’ve been making efforts to raise awareness through various means. But stopping these cases isn’t solely our responsibility, it’s on the community itself.
“Fathers, stepfathers, grandfathers, grandmothers, even mothers, all have a role in preventing abuse within their families,” she said.
She has previously said this programme was launched five years ago and implemented in primary and secondary schools across five states which is Kuala Lumpur, Sabah, Kelantan, Selangor, and Sarawak.
“The children’s love programme plays a role in conveying messages through talks and exhibitions to address cases of abuse and to educate them about their rights,” she said.
