SEXUAL ABUSE IN FEMALE ADOLESCENTS FILIPINO EXPERIENCE, ASIAN CRIMINOLOGICAL SOCIETY, OSAKA JAPAN

1. MILEN SANTIAGO RAMOS MA MSc Phd
clinical psychology . neuroscience. criminology

3. This study came from my interest while working as a clinical
psychologist in our state s hospital and until now that I am dealing with
children placed in the orphanage for possible adoption and foster care.
Sexual abuse exerts deep and long lasting effect on the victim. My
discussion on sexual abuse will only center around the three interesting
cases which I handled while doing clinical work.
First, is the case of intergenerational rape wherein the
grandmother was raped, the daughter of the grandmother was also
sexually abused and the granddaughter who came to our hands was
also raped. These women was raped in each of their lifetime.
Second, is the disruption case wherein this adolescent was
able to find an adoptive parent abroad but was send back home
because of sexual acting out.
Third, was the adolescent who was placed in a foster home
but who eventually became a victim for the second time by the foster
father.

4. Research questions which I try to find answer are
What is the commonality among the three cases? Will the
psychodynamics of reported cases be the same as the
Western counterpart. What makes them an Asian experience
Did the sexual experience in the early years created
psychopathology in the Subject for the experience to be
reenacted
Did the experience led to a controversial form of victimization
wherein the victim became the perpetuator (i.e. she created
the scenario for the event to be recreated)

5. UN study finds ‘rape culture’ in Asia-Pac countries
Sexual entitlement is the most common motivation across
all of these countries. I think that very, very strongly points
to the root of rape in gender relations, and the fact that
rape is really legitimized in so many of these countries.
–Rachel Jewkes

6. Nearly quarter of men in Asia-Pacific admit to committing rape
Survey shows extent of sexual violence in region where 70% of men
report facing no legal consequencesNearly a quarter of men in the Asia-
Pacific region have admitted to committing rape at least once in their life,
according to a new survey with more than half of those respondents claiming
they raped for the first time while in their teens.
The study covering six countries – Bangladesh, China, Cambodia,Indonesia,
Papua New Guinea and Sri Lanka – found that 10% of men admitted to raping
at least once a woman who was not their partner, a figure that rose to nearly
25% when rape of a partner was included.
Nearly 75% of those who had committed rape said they did so because they
felt sexually entitled; more than half said they did it for entertainment.

9. COMMONALITIES ARE
1)THE INCIDENTS WERE REPEATED
2) FALSE MEMORY SYNDROME WAS OBSERVED

10. THE INCIDENTS WERE REPEATED
IN THE FIRST CASE THE INCIDENT WAS NOT REPEATED IN
THE SAME PERSON BUT RAPED OCCURRED IN WOMEN OF
EACH GENERATION WITHIN THE SAME FAMILY. THIS IS
DEFINITELY NOT BIOLOGIC AS THERE IS NO SUCH THINGS
AS BEING RAPED
IN THE SECOND CASE IT WAS ABORTED AS SUBJECT WAS
IMMEDIATELY SENT BACK HOME THE VERY REASON WAS
THE SEXUAL ACTING OUT DIRECTED TO THE PARTNER OD
THE ADOPTIVE MOTHER
IN THE THIRD CASE, SUBJECT WAS RAPED BY THE
FOSTER FATHER

11. BUT WHY WAS THE INCIDENT REPEATED
In the first case, when asked about her insight on what had happened
to her, the Subject seemed to have lost for words .When asked if she
knew what had happened to her mother and grandmother her body
language suggest that it was a matter of fact that it happened to
female members in the family
In the second case, when as asked why she was sent back home she
said that she did not know that will be the consequences after being
sent for counselling by her adoptive mother. She constantly talked
about the partner of her adoptive mother as similar to the person who
initially abused her. And that her adoptive mother has more time to
her work and her partner.
In the third case when asked why she was so meek on what had
happened to her she just shrug her shoulder. When reminded that
she had a verbal contract with her social worker that she would be
transparent on her day to day activities and social interactions she
just admitted that she failed to right away tell it to her social worker

12. Further proving on the psychodynamics of each case noted the following
In the first case, when asked why she did not attempt to use all her
resources to protect herself as she can use her voice to ask for help or her
legs to kick the abuser or run as fast as she can she felt desensitized as
what was happening to her at that time what really like what had happened
to her grandmother. Her grandmother would retell the incident to her when
she was growing up over and over again
In the second case when asked if she was aware of what she was doing like
gravitating to her adoptive mom s partner she said her goal was just to
have her adoptive mother be more attentive to her
In the third case, when asked why she kept quite all the time she answered
she may lose the temporary home and family that was given to her. The
foster family is her 6th
family.

13. In a conservative society like the
Philippines where a woman’s chastity is
upheld as a virtue, the shame of being
raped cuts deep. The same attitude lays
blame on the victim, labeling the woman
as “a flirt” who caused the act, wittingly or
unwittingly, through various signals of
enticement or invitation

15. Classic clinical explanation purports
traumatic bonding, compulsion to
repeat trauma as a result of
rape,such becomes more
magnified when one thinks of
children now adolescents who
were not taken cared of, was
abandoned and had been under
inadequate caregivers’

17. EVIDENCE OF FALSE MEMORY
SYNDROME
In our cases this was accidentally
discovered when the subject would report
differently to me the clinician and the
social worker handling d case and this is
only in CIRCUMSCRIBED area

18. As a clinician there are ways
and means to check if it is a
true memory loss. One is by
using neuropsychological
test.

20. YES IF LEFT UNTREATED

22. THANK YOU FOR LISTENING