Child abuse is estimated to affect one in four homes. Due to cultural stigmas, many do not get reported, yet the effect of child sex abuse to victims and survivors is so devastating, they kept it to themselves and many times they bring to their grave without being healed or being whole in their lifetime. This presentation intends to answer key questions related to child sex abuse, and its consequence prevention and treatment. It also intends to take a look at the child sex abuser and the occasional presence of co-dependents, who make perpetrators bolder in their acts.

1. 50 Q&A About
Child Sex Abuse (CSA)
Christian Sexual Ethics
Maryhill School of Theology
Class of Fr. Prof. Dioni Miranda
2009 / J. Go

2.
“Anyone can stand adversity
but to test a person’s character,
give them power”
Abraham Lincoln

3. Introduction
Child abuse is estimated to affect one in four homes. Due to cultural
stigmas, many do not get reported, yet the effect of child sex abuse to
victims and survivors is so devastating, they kept it to themselves and
many times they bring to their grave without being healed or being
whole in their lifetime. This presentation intends to answer key
questions related to child sex abuse, and its consequence prevention
and treatment. It also intends to take a look at the child sex abuser and
the occasional presence of co-dependents, who make perpetrators
bolder in their acts.
The answers to the 50 questions were either taken or paraphrased from
the references cited at the end of this presentation and are highly
recommended supplemental reading to anyone interested in furthering
their understanding of child sex abuse.

4. Table of Contents
Section Topics Slide
1 General concept of a child 5
2 General concept of child sex abuse
15
3 General Concept of a child sex
abuser 31
4 General Concept of a
Co-dependent 57
5 General Concept of the Healing,
Treatment and Prevention of a
CSA
66

5. Part I:
General concept
of a child

6. What is a child?
• A child is defined differently in
different countries. Some countries
define a child as anyone under the
age of 16 years but in the
Philippines, a child is anyone under
the age of 18 for the purposes of
child protection legislation.

7. What is a child abuse?
• Child abuse is any behavior that endangers
the development, security or survival of a
child.
• It is the betrayal of an adult's position of trust
and authority over a child.
Child abuse occurs when an adult mistreats
or neglects a child resulting in the following:
– Injury
– significant emotional or psychological harm, or
– serious risk of harm to a child.

8. How many types of child
abuse are there?
• There are four general types of child
abuse:
– Physical
– Emotional
– Neglect and
– Sexual

9. What is Physical Abuse?
• Physical abuse is the most visible form of abuse
and may be defined as any act that results in a
non-accidental trauma or physical injury.
– Inflicted physical injury most often represents
unreasonable, severe corporal punishment or
unjustifiable punishment. This usually happens when a
frustrated or angry parent strikes, shakes or throws a
child, or causing injuries from punching, beating,
kicking, biting, burning or otherwise harming a child.
The longer the abuse continues, the more serious the
injuries to the child and the more difficult it is to
eliminate the abusive behavior.

10. What is Emotional Abuse?
• Emotional abuse is commonly defined as
the systematic tearing down of another
human being
– The most prevalent, but can be the cruelest and
most destructive of all types of abuse,
emotional abuse attacks the child's psyche and
self-concept, the victim comes to see him or
herself as unworthy of love and affection.
Children who are constantly shamed,
humiliated, terrorized or rejected suffer at least
as much, if not more, than if they had been
physically assaulted.

11. What is Neglect?
• Neglect is a failure to provide for the
child's basic needs. The types of
neglect are
– Physical
– Educational and
– Emotional

12. What is Physical Neglect?
• Physical neglect is not providing for a
child's physical needs, including
inadequate provision of food, housing, or
clothing appropriate for season or weather,
lack of supervision, expulsion from the
home or refusal to allow a runaway to
return home, abandonment, denial or delay
of medical care and inadequate hygiene.

13. What is Educational Neglect?
• Educational neglect is the failure to
enroll a child of mandatory school age
in school or to provide necessary
special education. This includes
allowing excessive absences from
school.

14. What is Emotional Neglect?
• Emotional (psychological) neglect is a lack
of emotional support and love, such as not
attending to the child's needs, including
need for affection, failure to provide
necessary psychological care, domestic
violence in the child's presence (such as
spousal or partner abuse), and drug and
alcohol abuse in the presence of the child,
or allowing the child to participate in drug
and alcohol use.

15. Part II:
General concept of
child sex abuse

16. What is child sex abuse?
• Sexual abuse is any misuse of a child for
sexual pleasure or gratification.
• Child sex abuse happens when a more
powerful person uses a less powerful person
for sexual gratification.
• It is committed by an adult to a minor, more
often with a girl as victim.
• It can also be committed by an older minor
to a younger minor but with much lesser
frequency of occurrence.

17. What does child sex abuse include?
• Child sex abuse can be physical, visual or
verbal
– Physical includes touching inappropriate to the
child’s age, specially the parts covered by a bikini,
which is technically called frotteurism, for fondling of
an unwilling person (the usual starting point of a
perpetrator’s exploitation plan). It also includes
kissing, vaginal or anal intercourse.
– Visual includes showing or encouraging of minors to
watch pornographic film, or exposing genitals to a
minor as in an exhibitionist or asking a minor to
expose hers / his.
– Verbal includes obscene language, dirty jokes and
catcalls.

18. What are the elements of CSA?
• There are 3 elements to the concept of child
sex abuse.
– It is sexual interaction between a child and adult.
– The substance and degree of abuse itself can range
from inappropriate suggestions, to interaction (such
as sexual exposure) to direct contact (as in
touching, rubbing or penetration)
– There is physical or psychological force, pressure
or violence, such as from someone in a position of
authority over the child victim.

19. What is the difference between CSA and Rape?
• Rape is when a victim was forced to have sex,
in whatever form, or when a victim verbally
said no to penetration, regardless of its prior
circumstance.
• Child sex abuse involves statutory rape, which
means sex with a minor, even if the minor was
submissive; it is no longer necessarily to be
physically attacked, as in a forced rape
because non-violent coercion is a modus
operandi, the minor always feeling powerless
because of fear and confusion, especially to
one in authority.

20. Why are Children Chosen as Victim?
• Children are victimized because they
lack dominance and emotional
understanding of sexual abuse’s long-
term implication.
Unlike adults, they yield easily, specially
submitting to one in authority and the
ones they are made or are used to
trusting – a guardian, parent,
grandparent, elder brother, teacher,
priest, coach, babysitter.

21. Who are predisposed to be CSA Victim?
• Minors targeted are those with high
needs for attention and affection.
• Minors who are physically weak or small,
socially isolated, and emotionally
deprived.
• Minors who have low self-esteem or
have few friends.
• Those with inferiority complex. They
lacked power, and would most likely not
fight back or be a threat to the abuser.

22. Who are predisposed to be CSA Victim?
• Victims usually come from families with
marital instability like frequent shouting
and fighting of elders, which weaken the
family ties.
The absence of parents, especially those
working outside of their home base for a
long time, converts the risk into a much
higher probability.

23. Can minor give in sexually to an adult,
hence, not a child sex abuse?
• There is no such thing as consensual sex
between an adult and a minor. The minor is
always the victim; they have no way of
provoking an adult, specially an authority figure.
That’s why laws worldwide are enacted to
protect children from these kinds of atrocities.
• Children don’t have the emotional capability of
understanding what is going on. This is a power
game to the abuser; remember to ask who really
has the power?

24. Can minor give in sexually to an adult,
hence, not a child sex abuse?
• Minors can never give their full consent
because they don’t fully know what they
are consenting to; they are highly
confused, especially in an incest
relationship because of trust built
between them and their offender.
• The fact they were minors, make it all the
worst as they have weak reasoning and
judgment.

25. How can children giving in
sexually be explained?
• Child sex abusers are very good in their
“grooming” process that make their
victims submit to them easier.
• In order to understand child sex abuse
from the perspective of the child, the
most important effect of child sexual
abuse is the Accommodation Syndrome.

26. What is the Accommodation Syndrome?
• Children sometimes enjoy the sex
and the relationship
• Sometimes children do not enjoy the
sex but still need the relationship.
• Many others do not enjoy the sex and
do not want the relationship, but feel
they cannot tell.

27. How Prevalent is CSA in families?
• In the USA, it is estimated that one in four
families are affected with child abuse.
• While the statistics in the Philippines
showed much lower figure, it is estimated
that the figure is somewhat near the USA
figure, given the number of families with
mothers working outside of their homes
within or outside the country.
Metro Manila has the highest incidents of
child sex abuse cases, followed by Ilocos
region, then Southern Tagalog.

28. Why do victims of CSA keep quiet
instead of report it to authorities?
• Child sex abuse survivors, like rape victims,
feel so shameful inside that many times, they
just bring their secrets to their grave.
• Because of the grooming process of the
perpetrators, which established joint
responsibility with their child victims, many
victims and survivors felt they are partly to
be blamed, thus, their guilt prevents them to
speak up for fear of being misunderstood.

29. Why do victims of CSA keep quiet
instead of report it to authorities?
• Child sex abuse survivors, like rape victims,
feel so shameful inside that many times, they
just bring their secrets to their grave.
• Because of the grooming process of the
perpetrators, which established joint
responsibility with their child victims, many
victims and survivors felt they are partly to
be blamed, thus, their guilt prevents them to
speak up for fear of being misunderstood.

30. Why do victims of CSA keep quiet
instead of report it to authorities?
• Child sex abuse survivors, like rape victims,
feel so shameful inside that many times, they
just bring their secrets to their grave.
• Because of the grooming process of the
perpetrators, which established joint
responsibility with their child victims, many
victims and survivors felt they are partly to
be blamed, thus, their guilt prevents them to
speak up for fear of being misunderstood.

31. Part III:
General Concept of a
child sex abuser

32. What is the profile of a child
sex abuser?
• Child sex abusers can’t be identified simply
from their looks, but are usually better educated
and some are in fact quite religious.
• In the Philippines, most abusers are men (80-
85%), are well known to the child and frequently
have a position of responsibility and trust for
the care of the child.
Studies indicate that only about 10% of the
offenders are strangers to the abused child. 20%
of the offenders are pedophiles (who tend to
have a large number of victims).

33. What is the profile of a child
sex abuser?
• If sexual intercourse is committed between
those within 4th
degree of consanguinity, it is
called incest.

34. Why are children chosen as victims?
• Victims are critical to the self-deception of the
child sex abusers, providing them a feeling of
wholeness, adding to their grandiose self-
image and giving them temporary self-esteem,
even if they robbed it from their victims.
Unfortunately, like Dracula and other vampires,
they compulsively repeat their beastly act
soonest their feeling of integration and being in
control dissolve, evidencing a low problem-
solving aptitude in their disintegrated
experience of self.

35. How does the child sex abuser work?
• Child sex abuser finds ways to be
alone with a child, specially the quiet,
needy or deprived type.
• Child sex abusers are highly skilled in
gradually programming their victims.
They give a lot of special attention to
be well liked and to gain trust of their
future victims, as well as from the
family members.

36. How does the child sex abuser work?
• The gradual programming is normally started
thru a simple touch, holding on lap, game or
play that a child feels comfortable with and
could be encouraged into participation. After
all, what could be harmful with the usual
playing of games and with someone they
trusted? It could also be rough play like in
wrestling, the doctor’s game, or plain tickling.

37. How does the child sex abuser work?
• If the child sex abuser is a full or partial
provider of economic support, he may have a
distorted “They Owe Me” view and/or have an
old chauvinistic mentality that “women are
there to serve men.

38. What do the child sex abuser usually
tell their victims?
• Child sex abusers tell their victims they are
making them feel good while the children in
turn are making them feel good to create a
belief of dual responsibility. This ensures the
child won’t report the abuse so the victims’
parents won’t be disappointed in them.

39. Why do child sex abusers repeat their
beastly acts?
• Because child victims don’t fight their
incestuous sex abusers, the abusive adult have
an easy time repeating their crime, they have
the wrong notion that they won’t get caught,
and if they did, they may try to apologize,
reverse the story and put the blame on a victim
or accuse the victim of lying in an exaggerated
manner.
Sadly, the abusers may even get away with it
since unempowered families may sacrifice the
victim to maintain the family’s honor making
them a second time victim.

40. Why do child sex abusers repeat their
beastly acts?
• Child sex perpetrators continue their beastly
acts because
- their child victims are still confused with the
relationships being offered
- the child victims eventually get tired of fighting
them
- the child victims get tired of crying in a corner
- the child victims practically cling to them in their
humiliation, or
- the child victim eventually accepts it as a norm
as they are groomed into that circumstance.

41. How do the child sex abusers thrive?
• Child sex abusers thrived on the vulnerability
of the victim - the feeling of shame, wanting to
protect the family honor (specially true if the
perpetrator is a family member); emotions and
young age that affect weak reasoning and
judgment of the victim. Since the crime does
not usually get reported, it becomes a rational
crime where the illegal act is repeated because
of low detection.

42. Do the child sex abusers do it for
sexual gratification?
• Child sex abusers do it not only for sexual
satisfaction but because it is a power game,
hence an aggressive act, even if no physical
force was committed.
• Like a sexual harassment case in a work
setting, those in authority had all the power
while their victims did not. Yet, it affects the
dignity and the entire future of the victims,
almost always suffering from psychological
and emotional disorder subsequently when left
untreated.

43. Are there different types of
child sex abusers?
• Child sex abusers may be pedophilia or
ephebophilia, the former molesting pre-
pubescent while the latter, older adolescent,
with both the abusers being at least five
years older than the child.

44. What are similarities in the sexual
aspects of child sex abusers?
• Pedophilias and ephebophilias differ in
many respects but are common in some
aspects
– Cognitive distortions
– Deviant sexual fantasies
– Disordered sexual arousal pattern
– Feeling of despair in their interpersonal dependence
– Low self-esteem
– Profound feelings of loneliness and emptiness
– Low victim empathy
– Deficient sexual knowledge
– Lack of social skills

45. What is a Pedophilia?
• Pedophilia is a mental illness, usually
because of insecurity and/or stress in an
adult relationship. They lose the social
skills they need to relate to other adults,
which makes children more attractive to
them because they are easy to gain power
and control from.

46. What is Ephebophile?
• Ephebophile have a higher level of
emotional development than pedophiles,
motivated principally with the virginity or
lack of sexual experience of his victims.
• Basically insecure, they do not want to be
compared sexually to other men, hence,
their focus on virgins.

47. Are there different types of pedophiles?
• The pedophiles can be classified as
regressed or fixated.
• The main sexual orientation of the
regressed type is towards adult of the
opposite sex, while that of the fixated is with
children or teens, rarely aroused with
people their age.
The regressed pedophilia may shift between
normal sexual relationships with adults and
criminal relations with children.

48. Do pedophiles suffer from any
disorder?
• Child sex predators could either have a
primary sexual disorder or an organic
disorder, where they could be suffering from
psychosis or obsession; brain deficit from
head injuries; or even schizophrenia, in fact,
the testosterone hormonal levels (the one
regulating male sex drive and aggression) in
pedophiles are unusually elevated.

49. Do pedophiles suffer from any
disorder?
• Almost all studies have found that
pedophiles have a dysfunctional brain parts
– the damaged frontal part of their brain
leading to disinhibition, poor judgment,
anxiety, low frustration tolerance, and
impulsivity, while damage to the temporal
parts of their brain may lead to deviant
fantasizing, compulsive thinking about
sexuality and hyper sexuality.

50. Do pedophiles suffer from any
disorder?
• Some abusers experience a hypnotic-like
trance during sexual molestation awakened
only after an orgasm, suggest a link
between their thinking process and their
body’s hormonal system.
• Unfortunately, over time, they could have an
increased sexual aggression acting out their
fantasies in an unmerciful or physically
destructive manner.

51. Who are predisposed to be
pedophiles or ephebophiles?
• Pedophilia and Ephebophilia almost always
come from chaotic family background.
• Many do not have a basic understanding of
how their behavior will harm children nor do
they know that they exert powerful influence
over them.
• Their thinking process grossly immature,
their psychosexual age naive as their victims.

52. Who are predisposed to be
pedophiles or ephebophiles?
• They identify with the child, both emotionally
and sexually - - they need their child victims
to admire them, even in a shallow way, to give
them a false sense of vitality, possibly
stemming from their unresolved childhood
trauma, where they felt helpless and
powerless, recreating their original trauma via
acting them out sexually, trying to master the
fear associated with it, re-establishing the
illusory feeling of dominance and control of
their earlier childhood conflict.

53. How do pedophiles view themselves?
• Except for those who are also sadist,
pedophiles do not view themselves as having
malicious intent to harm the child and rarely
confessed nor admit their atrocities. With
cognitive impairment, they suspend reality
and view themselves as unfairly treated and
accused when they are confronted, making
themselves victims rather than perpetrators.

54. How do pedophiles view themselves?
• Pedophiles may even feel betrayed by the
child victim or an adult survivor who decided
to tell the truth about her past. They view
themselves as sexually educating the child,
getting them ready for life, offering friendship
and attention when nobody else would, or in
reverse, the child was the one who tempted
them. It is also their way of rationalizing to
cover up the cruelty they have created. Their
denial is part of their dysfunctional sexual
blueprint.

55. Are the acts of pedophiles
a grave matter?
• Definitely. Their acts are premeditated,
against morals and laws. Their intent is self-
satisfaction, not protection of the well being
of the child. The adult has full disposition, full
knowledge, full freedom and full capacity to
think, reflect and evaluate their actions as an
adult, as compared to the child victim who did
not have the same advantage, not being in the
legal age, and were treated as simply object
and not as a unique human being created in
God’s image.

56. Are the acts of pedophiles
a grave matter?
• The classical position categorically affirms
that premature sexualization of children is an
intrinsic evil to be condemned in no uncertain
terms.

57. Part IV:
General Concept of a
Co-dependent

58. What is a co-dependent?
• A co-dependent is someone who lives with
an abuser and has become part of the chaos
by protecting the abuser from suffering the
consequences of his irresponsible behavior.
• Their relationship is based on delusion and
avoidance of the unpleasant, while her
exaggerated sense of responsibility appears
to be that one partner will fix and rescue the
other in the marriage, both clinging to a toxic
and dysfunctional relationship.

59. What is a co-dependent?
• Co-dependency is another name for
relationship addiction, or the inability of an
individual to have healthy, mutually
satisfying relationship.
• People with codependency tend to confuse
love and pity as they experienced a one-
sided relationship in a dysfunctional family
setting. Difficult emotions like fear, anger,
pain or shame are ignored or denied to hold
on to a relationship and avoid the feeling of
abandonment.

60. Why is a co-dependent such?
• Co-dependents develop their sense of
reward from being needed as the benefactor
of the abuser in preventing a disaster she
fears may happen.
• Co-dependents do not talk about the
problem as if the problem does not exist;
they also have trouble asking for help. They
do not confront the issues and repress their
emotions, even detaching themselves to
disregard their own needs. They view
quality of their life as directly proportionate
to the quality of their partner’s life.

61. Why is a co-dependent such?
• Co-dependents also have low self-
esteem and look for anything outside
of themselves to help make them feel
better.
• They may develop compulsive
behaviors like gambling, being
workaholic, or even initiating
indiscriminate sexual activity.

62. What are the characteristics of
co-dependents?
• An exaggerated sense of responsibility for the
actions of others.
• A tendency to confuse love and pity, with the
tendency to “love” people they can pity and rescue.
• A tendency to do more than their share, all of the
time.
• A tendency to become hurt when people don’t
recognize their efforts.
• An unhealthy dependence on relationships - - The
co-dependent will do anything to hold on to a
relationship to avoid the feeling of abandonment.

63. What are the characteristics of
co-dependents?
• An extreme need for approval and
recognition.
• A sense of guilt when asserting themselves.
• A compelling need to control others.
• Lack of trust in self and/or others.
• Fear of being abandoned or alone.
• Difficulty identifying feelings.

64. What are the characteristics of
co-dependents?
• Rigidity / difficulty adjusting to change
• Problems with intimacy / boundaries
• Chronic anger
• Lying / dishonesty
• Poor communications
• Difficulty making decisions

65. What is the effect of the co-dependent’s
behavior to the perpetrator?
• The repeated rescue attempts of co-
dependents simply make child sex abusers
bolder and continue on a destructive
roadmap and to become even more
dependent on their unhealthy care taking.

66. Part V:
General Concept of the
Healing, Treatment and
Prevention of a CSA

67. When would a child sex abuser
stop his abuse?
• Child sex abuse will not end on its own.
Fear of an exposure is the greatest weapon
that can be used against abusers.
• The abuse stops when the child victims find
the courage to report them to someone in
school, like a guidance counselor, who
could help them instantaneously, or until the
victims grew up and gathered enough guts
to really fight their abuser back.

68. How can child sex abuse victims stop
their abusers from repeating their acts?
• Children who were victimized must speak up
immediately and tell their teacher and school
counselor or someone older they trust until
they are in a safe environment.
• There should be absolutely no excuses
made about their abusers, regardless of the
abusers’ own childhood circumstance.
Children deserve to be protected in our
society.

69. Why should the child sex abuse
victims speak up?
• Unless the abuses are reported and abusers
exposed and treated, another child is always
at risk.
• The child sex abuse survivors need to be
treated.

70. What are the effects of child sex abuse
to victims?
• Being sexually abused as a child could be
devastating, depending on coping abilities
and mental health of the child.
• There are a variety of effects on children that
could be cognitive, emotional or physical.
The level of effect depends on the situation
(age, duration and type of abuse, gender,
degree of violence, who the offender is).

71. What are the effects of CSA to victims?
• Effects could be sexual misbehavior,
homophobia, and fear of sex, shame, guilt,
eating problems, interpersonal relationships,
decision making problems, powerlessness,
anger, depression, and suicide.
Who do you know suffering from any of the above?Who do you know suffering from any of the above?

72. When the child sex abuse victims
grow up to be a survivor, how could
they heal themselves?
• There is a deep emotional and psychological wound
inside every child sex abuse victim. They don’t feel
whole and worthy, they usually lack a sense of
identity and have low self-worth.
• Depending on the degree of their suffering, child
sex abuse survivors should seek professional help.
They do not feel whole and need to be treated by a
counselor or undergo psychological rehabilitation
to heal the little child within them.

73. What are programs normally implemented to
help CSA survivors find their safe place, heal
their deep emotional wounds and rediscover
their wholeness?
• The most common treatment program for
victims of child sexual abuse, young sexual
offenders, parents and families is individual
and group counseling.
• Depending on the cases, the children are
encouraged to deal with issues of self-esteem,
fear, sexuality; shame, guilt and responsibility;
interpersonal relationships, among others.

74. What are programs normally implemented to
help CSA survivors find their safe place, heal
their deep emotional wounds and rediscover
their wholeness?
• Methodologies include journal writing,
sharing, homework, activities, games, story
telling, talk therapy, sand play and role
playing

75. How can CSA be prevented from
happening?
• Awareness is important. Presidential proclamation
731 declaring the second week of February of every
year as “National Awareness Week for the Prevention
of Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation” is hardly
noticeable without any government support and
continuity.
Education is indispensable. It should start in
schools, especially in high-risk areas where the
absence of parents, specially the mother, is prevalent.
Private sectors thru the Parent-Teacher Association
(PTA) should be proactive in ensuring elementary
students get adequate lessons to recognize when
they are already being groomed for child sex abuse

76. How can CSA be prevented from
happening?
• Parents seeking greener pasture outside
their home base must ensure they are
leaving their children to families they can
trust and to recognize signs of child sex
abuse.
• Books written in such a way that it is
capable of explaining child sex abuse in a
novel way must be encouraged.

77. Are there groups or institutions that
help CSA victims and survivors?
• Ateneo Human Rights Center
(Adhikain Para sa Karapatang Pambata <AKAP>)
Ground floor, Ateneo Professional Schools Building, 20 Rockwell Drive,
Rockwell Center, Makati City, Philippines
Tel. Nos.: 729-6583, 729-2003, 729-2000 to 03
Website: www.law.ateneo.edu
Email address: ahrc@acc.aiti.admu.edu.ph
• Bantay Bata
ABS-CBN Foundation, Inc.
31 Mother Ignacia Ave., Quezon City, Philippines
24 hour telephone hotline: 163
Tel. Nos.: 925-5268, 922-2163 and 411-0856
Website: www.abs-cbnfoundation.com/bantaybata/index.asp
Email: bb163@abs.pinoycentral.com

78. Are there groups or institutions that
help CSA victims and survivors?
• Center for Family Ministries (Cefam) Foundation
Seminary Drive, Ateneo de Manila University campus, Katipunan
Ave., Loyola Heights, Quezon City, Philippines
Tel Nos.: 426-4289 to 92
Website: www.admu.edu.ph/affunits/cefam
Email address: cefam@pusit.admu.edu.ph
• Cefam Don Bosco Parish
Arnaiz Ave. corner Amorsolo St., Makati City, Philippines
Tel. No.: 843-1081
• Center for Prevention and Treatment of Child Sexual Abuse (CPTCSA)
122-C Matahimik St., UP Village, Quezon City, Philippines
Tel. Nos.: 434-7528 and 426-7839
Website: www.cptcsa.org
Email address: cptcsa@cptcsa.org

79. Are there groups or institutions that
help CSA victims and survivors?
• Child Justice League Inc.
Ground floor, DSWD Central office, Batasan Complex, Constitution Hills,
Quezon City, Philippines
Tel. No.: 931-8167
• Child Protection in the Philippines
Website: www.childprotection.org.ph
• Children’s Help and Assistance Foundation, Inc.
Sunshine Village, Laray, Inayawan, Pardo, Cebu, Philippines
Tel.: 296-1027 and 273-1027
• Children of Cebu Foundation, Inc.
Pari-an Drop-In Center, Sikatuna St., Cebu City, Philippines
Tel. Nos.: 255-7937

80. Are there groups or institutions that
help CSA victims and survivors?
• Council for the Welfare of Children (CWC)
CWC Building, 10 Apo St., Sta. Mesa Heights, Quezon City, Philippines
Tel. Nos.: 743-8375, 781-1039 and 740-8863 to 64
Email address: cwc@info.com.ph
• Department of Social Welfare and Development
Batasan Complex, Constitution Hills, Quezon City, Philippines
(Please check phone directory for local addresses)
Tel. Nos.: 931-9143, 931-7916 and 931-8068
Website: www.dswd.gov.ph
• Gentle Shepherd
Katipunan Avenue, Loyola Heights, Quezon City, Philippines
Tel.: 0918-840-5540

81. Are there groups or institutions that
help CSA victims and survivors?
• Haven for Women (and Children)
(a joint project of the DSWD and the Congressional Spouses Association)
Alabang-Zapote Road, across Alabang Town Center, Alabang, Muntinlupa,
Philippines
• Helga Morey Children’s Home
Divisoria 3311 Santiago City, Philippines
• Kaugmaan Center for Children’s Concerns
59 corner Vinzon and Cervantes Sts, Bo. Obrero, Davao, Philippines
Tel. No.: 298-2593
• Laura Vicuna Foundation
3500 V. Mapa Extension, Manila City, Philippines
Tel. No.: 713-1049 and 714-7793
Website: www.lauravicuna.com
Email address: info@lauravicuna.com

82. Are there groups or institutions that
help CSA victims and survivors?
• National Bureau of Investigation (NBI)
Violence Against Women and Children Division (VAWCD)
NBI Building, Taft Avenue, Manila City, Philippines
Tel. No.: 525-6028, 302-7623 and 523-8231 loc. 3402
Website: www.nbi.doj.gov.ph
Email address: rgwycoco@nbi.doj.gov.ph
• Philippine General Hospital (PGH) Child Protection Unit
Taft Ave, Manila, Philippines
Tel. Nos.: 526-8418 and 521-8450
Website: www.pgh.gov.ph
• Preda Foundation, Inc. (Childhood for Children Project)
Upper Kalaklan 2200, Olongapo City, Philippines
Tel. No.: 47-223-9629 to 30 and 47-222-4994
Website: www.preda.org/home.htm
Email address: preda@info.com.ph

83. Are there groups or institutions that
help CSA victims and survivors?
• Stairway Foundation Inc.
Barangay Aninuan, Puerto Galera, 5203 Oriental Mindoro, Philippines
Tel. No.: 0917-843-1922
Website: www.stairwayfoundation.org
Email address: stairway@indanet.com
• Virlaine Foundation, Inc.
3 Mascardo St., La Paz Village, Makati, Philippines
Website: www.vasia.com/virlaine
Email address: virlaine@vasia.com
• Women’s Legal Bureau Inc.
11 Matimtim St., Teachers Village, Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines
Tel. Nos.: 921-8053 and 921-3893

84. What are laws protecting child sex
abuse victims in the Philippines?
1. Section 3 (2):
The State shall defend the rights of the child to assistance, proper
care and nutrition, and special protection from all forms of neglect,
abuse, cruelty, exploitation, and other condition that may be
prejudicial to their development.
2. Family Code (Executive Order 209, Article 149)
The family, being the foundation of the nation, is a basic social
institution which public policy cherishes and protects. Consequently,
family relations are governed by law and no custom, practice or
agreement destructive of the family shall be recognized or given
effect.

85. What are laws protecting child sex
abuse victims in the Philippines?
3. PD 603 (Children and Youth Welfare Code of the Philippines)
Twelve (12) rights of the child:
# 5: To be brought up in an atmosphere of morality and rectitude
# 8: To be protected against exploitation, improper influences,
hazards and other conditions or circumstances prejudicial to his
physical, mental, emotional, social and moral development.
4. RA 7610 - Special Protection of Filipino Children Against Child
Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination
This law is the Anti-child Abuse Law of the Philippines. It defines
certain acts of child abuse (neglect and abandonment, and
physical, emotional and sexual abuse) and other forms of acts that
would deter the development of the child.

86. What are laws protecting child sex
abuse victims in the Philippines?
5. RA 8353 - The Anti-Rape Law of 1997
The law makes the crime of rape a crime against person. Before
this, the crime of rape was a crime against chastity where a
complaint* was necessary to file a charge of rape. The said
requirement contributes to the non-prosecution of rape offenders
and curtails the view on the ill effects of rape.
The law expands the definition of rape to include rape by sexual
assault and marital rape. Also, the law provides that strong
resistance is not necessary in order to show absence of consent
by the victim. A mere indication of "no" is enough.
*Complaint is a sworn written statement subscribed by the victim
or another person as may be allowed by the rules of Court
charging another person with a crime.

87. What are laws protecting child sex
abuse victims in the Philippines?
6. RA 8505 (Rape Victim Assistance and Prevention Act of 1998)
The law mandates ways to provide assistance to rape victims
including the establishment of Rape Crisis Centers that will be
supervised by the Crisis Intervention Unit of the DSWD. Children
and Women's Desk shall be institutionalized in every PNP
headquarters and properly trained women officers shall be assigned
to it.
7. Proclamation No. 731
The law provides that the "National Awareness Week for the
Prevention of Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation" shall be
celebrated every second week of February.

88. What are laws protecting child sex
abuse victims in the Philippines?
8. RA 8369 Family Courts Act of 1997
The law provides that a family court shall be designated in every
city / province in the country to hear and decide, among others,
cases wherein the child is directly involved whether or not as a
victim / offender.
9. RA 7877 - Anti-Sexual Harassment Law
The law does not define sexual harassment but enumerates the
acts that constitute sexual harassment and possible offenders in an
employment and education environment. When the victim is a child,
the offender may be prosecuted for violating this law.
10. Executive Order 56 (1986)
This Executive mandates DSWD to take protective custody of
sexually exploited children including prostituted children.

89. What are some references that can be read by
interested individuals on the topic CSA?
• Bass, Ellen and Laura Davis (1988). “The Courage To Heal: A
Guide For Women Survivors Of Child Sex Abuse”, Harper &
Row Publishers, 495 pages.
• “Bringing Peace To Troubled Lives” article from the Gail
Roberson’s Counseling Center
(www.gailscounseling.com/what.html)
• Center for the Prevention and Treatment of Child Sex Abuse
(www.cptcsa.org)
• Downs, Martin “Explaining Pedophilia” WebMD Inc.
• Sahil, “Confession of an abuser”
(www.crescentlife.com/psychissues/a_perpetrator_talks.htm)
• Cormier, Eric “Inmate Offers Insights Into Thoughts Of
Predators”, American Press.com
(www.americanpress.com/features/docs/abuse/abuse7.htm)
• Help Guide (www.helpguide.org)

90. What are some references that can be read by
interested individuals on the topic CSA?
• Mental Health Association of Franklin County
(www.mhafc.org/codepend.htm)
• National Exchange Club Foundation
(www.preventchildabuse.com)
• National Mental Health Association
(www.nmha.org/infoctr/factsheets/43.cfm)
• Notes from Prof. Dr. Dionisio Miranda’s lecture on Christian
Sexual Ethics, specifically Chapters 32A and 32B.
• Lothstein, L.M. (1990) “Psychological Theories of Pedophilia
and Ephebophilia” chapter in the book “Slayer of the Soul” by
Stephen J. Rossetti, 206 pages, Twenty Third Publishing
• Rearbon, David, Julie Makimaa, Amy Sobie (2000) “Victims and
Victors: Speaking Out About Their Pregnancies, Abortions and
Children Resulting From Sexual Assault”, 190 pages, Acorn
Books.