There is a "very strong link between sexual abuse and
religious orthodoxy," according to Dr. Moira Woods, attached
to the Sexual Assault and Treatment unit at Dublin's Rotunda
Hospital.
Her assessment follows the publication by the ISPCC of
statistics showing that in the four years since their
Childline service began, 18,619 calls were received about
sexual abuse and 6,006 about physical abuse.
Dr. Woods spoke of a Dutch study highlighting a direct
connection between sex abuse and religion.
She said: "That is, very strict religious families, where
sex is not discussed. The effects on the children in those
kind of families are much worse, because the children feel
extremely guilty." The care-giver was giving them the
message that sex was wicked and this same person was abusing
them, she said.
Dr. Woods said that she thought that it was "a red herring
to use the argument about pornography and video nasties"
alone causing child sexual abuse.
They contributed, but sexual abuse was around a long time
before video nasties, she said.
For this reason, Dr. Woods believed that it was "dangerous
to talk about pornography" causing the problem.
Fine Gael childcare spokesman Deputy Bill Cotter said there
should be a compulsory personal safety programme in all
primary schools and appropriate in-service training for
teachers, playschool leaders and health board staff.
He wanted childcare teams to be set up in treatment centres
attached to regional and general hospitals and changes in
the law to make it mandatory for professionals, who work
with children, to report abuse.
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
|Gary L. Dryfoos - I/S-Athena Training Admin. |
| Internet: dryfoo@athena.mit.edu |
| Usenet: ...mit-eddie!athena.mit.edu!dryfoo | "Can it core a apple?"
| Phone: w: (617) 253-0184 / fax: 253-8665 |
| Office: Room 11-311, MIT, Cambridge, MA 02139 | -- Chef of the Future
| USPS: P.O. Box 505, Cambridge, MA 02142 |
+=============================================================================
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End of Subgenius Digest
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