It seems that there is at least one commonality that crosses traditional socio-economic barriers and unifies many children in Vietnam. Domestic and sexual violence towards children is often indiscriminate and blatantly ignored in communities, because of normalisation of harsh domestic discipline and the secrecy associated with sexual abuse.
(Photo Credit - Thanh Nguyen)
Domestic and Sexual Abuse of Children in Vietnam
TW: Sexual and domestic abuse of minors*
Background
It seems that there is at least one commonality that crosses traditional socio-economic barriers and unifies many children in Vietnam. Domestic and sexual violence towards children is often indiscriminate and blatantly ignored in communities, because of normalisation of harsh domestic discipline and the secrecy associated with sexual abuse. It is unsurprising to members of a society in Vietnam to hear of incidents of a child receiving a beating from a drunken parent, or a child being told rude or offensive words. Whether rich or poor, educated or poorly informed, this issue affects at least 2,000 children every year in Vietnam. Surprisingly, a sociological survey discovered that 91.2% of adults did not know the laws that protect children. The Vietnamese authorities condemned 8,442 cases of child abuse between 2015 and 2019, with 75.4% of the total accounting cases for sexual abuse cases. It is alarming that these figures only show an iceberg's tip due to the secret and discrete nature of abuse towards children.
One causal factor for this abuse is patriarchal power. Ninh Thi Hong (Permanent Deputy Chairwoman of the Vietnam Association) claims the reinforcement of patriarchy in the household and the unrealistic bar of excellence that Vietnamese parents set for their children contributes to violent discipline. However, child abuse does not only remain at home. In the last number of years, there have been many sexual abuse incidents of children as young as six years old being subject to sexual violence or harassment from teachers in classrooms. In April 2019, an ethics primary school teacher Nguyen Quang Chung was sentenced to life in prison for raping and molesting several girls aged 8-9 years old. Chung would ask the girls to come into his office during break time for various reasons and rape them. The latest Vietnamese authorities have stated that roughly one in four children has survived abuse; the United Nations believe that this statistic's reality is a lot higher.
UNICEF X Blue Heart Campaign
In June 2020, UNICEF, UNFPA, UN Women and the Vietnamese government launched a 'Blue Heart' campaign to increase communication, public attention, and support against violence suffered by children and women during the COVID-19 pandemic. The campaign is rooted in educating and encouraging societal members to address the importance of active participation in protecting women and children from abuse and reporting any incidents to the authorities. The pandemic restrictions (despite aiming to save lives) have increased the exposure of women and children to violence across Vietnam's territory. The two main domestic violence hotlines: Peace House and Sunshine. Have witnessed a significant explosion in the number of calls they have been receiving. In the summer of 2020, the numbers had increased two folds from the previous year and demonstrated the sheer pressure that the pandemic has placed on women and children. With this in mind, the Vietnamese government must continue to invest in educating adults on child laws, educating children on unwanted behaviour, supporting hotlines, financially supporting shelters and putting a clear strategy in place for survivors of domestic and sexual abuse.
If you were affected by this post:
National Domestic Abuse Hotline - 0808 2000 247
Men’s Advice Line - 0808 801 0327
Galop - 0800 999 5428
Women’s Aid – Live Chat on their website
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