LEVEL OF ANXIETY OF SEXUALLY ABUSED CHILDREN IN BUTUAN CITY:

BASIS FOR A PROPOSED CREATION OF FOSTER HOMES FOR CHILD

ABUSE SURVIVORS

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A Research Paraphrased Review Presented to the Faculty of Graduate School

of Saint Joseph Institute of Technology, Butuan City

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In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirement for the Degree

Master in Management major in Public Service Management

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MICHAEL JOHN B. ANDOHUYAN

September 12, 2016

 I- RESEARCH OVERVIEW

The research was conducted last March 2013 in Butuan City where the

respondents are the residents of Department of Social Welfare and Development-

Home For Girls (DSWD-HFG). The researcher is trying to determine among others;

the level of anxiety of sexually abused children, the significant difference of anxiety in

terms of education, relationship to perpetrators, parents’ occupation, and the

intervention and other programs that can be proposed in order to for survivors to return

to their normalcy.

T-test, and ANOVA were used as the statistical tools in the treatment of the data

where the findings disclosed as follows; the level of anxiety of sexually abused children

in Butuan City was moderate and there was no significant difference on the level of

anxiety when analyzed by age.

The research data disclosed further that in terms of educational attainment,

majority of the sexually abused are elementary graduates. In terms of relationship to

perpetrators, the result of the research elucidated that majority of the survivors are

abused by their uncles, stepfathers, and family friends. With regards to parents’

occupation, the results revealed that majority of the respondents have various

occupations such as carpenter, farmers, and drivers.

In conclusion, the researcher is proposing for Foster Homes for Survivors with

following objectives; find a family that would accept the sexually abused child for

temporary shelter, to provide the needs of the sexually abused child like an ordinary

child where temptation of sexual arousal will be eliminated, to provide financial

assistance to the foster family for the needs of the sexually abused child which is

enough to provide comfortable life for the recuperating child.

II- INSIGHTS

The research result provided an avenue to understand the dynamics of the

sexually abused survivors who underwent a center based rehabilitation. The Home For

Girls of DSWD was established purposely to cater Children in Need of Special

Protection (CNSP) which includes the Children Sexually Abused and Exploited
(CNSP). The residents in the said facility are provided with twenty-four (24) hours

homelife and psychological services.

Based on personal experience with regards to the findings that majority of the

survivors are elementary graduates, most of the victims that being referred to office

are those who stopped from schooling due their movement from their house to a facility

and disclosure affects their interest to pursue secondary education. They do not prefer

to be institutionalized and most of them migrates to highly urban areas to work in order

to avoid the shame despite the intensive counselling provided.

The finding conforms to Goldman et.al., (2003) stressing that generally at the

time of disclosure of the sexual abuse, the offender is not separated from the family.

The victim may be remove or decides to removed herself if the mother is unwilling or

unable to protect her.

On the results of the relationship to perpetrator where the abuser are dearly

closed to survivors, the child’s trust and confidence to these people whom they think

will support and protect them are the ones who abuses them. In some instances, during

the filing of criminal cases to perpetrator, survivors become hostile and does not

cooperate from the interview to extract information in order to have a concrete and

verified affidavit because of trust issues.

It was elucidated by Goldman et. al (2003) that adult has more power and has

the capacity to impose the sexual behavior which may be painful, intrusive, and

overwhelming because of its novelty and sexual pleasure. This power may also

manifest in manipulation of the child into compliance.

In the proposed Foster Homes for survivors, there are recent developments

which addresses to the needs of the children to be placed out in a family setting. The

approval of Republic Act 10165 otherwise known as the Foster Care Act which was

signed and passed into law in 2012 seeks to institutionalize the foster care program for

abused, neglected, and abandoned children in the country. It also establishes a system

that will promote foster care for children by giving foster parents subsidy and tax

incentives while children are under their care.

 Under this program, the DSWD is tasked to develop and implement programs

to strengthen the Foster Care in every locality. Some of the programs includes

recruitment and development of Foster Families. These families will be assessed and

licensed by the Regional Offices of the DSWD. In cases where children from

institutions are due for reintegration for the community, a matching conference will be

conducted by the Child Specialist Welfare Group with the foster applicants and the

children available for foster care.

The department provides subsidy for the Foster Families. The amount varies

from P4, 000.00 for regular foster child and P5, 000.00 for children with special needs.

The department also conducts regular advocacy activities such as foster care and

adoption forum and increase the level of awareness of the public through radio

guesting and the observance of adoption and foster week celebration in the month of

February each year.

From 2012 to 2015, there were 1, 721 children placed out for foster care and

the licensed foster families reaches to 1, 705 all over the country and a total of P15,

687. 042.46 was utilized for the implementation of the foster care program. The social

workers assigned in every province facilitates the licensing of these families.

III- RECOMMENDATIONS

1. Issuance from Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) for all LGUs to

institutionalize and strengthen the recruitment and licensing of foster families who

would be available in times where a need to place out a child for temporary shelter

because it would be best for a child to be in a family setting and institutionalizing a

child should be the last recourse.

2. Continuously conduct the radio guesting and other advocacy activities in order to

raise the level of awareness of the public on the objectives of the program.

3. Provision of subsidy from the LGUs to foster families to augment the needs of the

children through an ordinance that would support the implementation of the law.

4. Provide intensive capability building activities especially the local social workers

who will help in the recruitment and licensing of foster families.

 REFERENCES

1. Garsilva, Jeanette P, (2013) Level of Anxiety of Sexual Abused Children in

Butuan City: Basis for a Proposed Creation of Foster Homes for Survivors.

2. Goldman, J., Salus, M. K., Wolcott, D., Kennedy, K. Y. (2003) A coordinated

Response to Child Abuse and Neglect: The Foundation for Practice. Office on

Child Abuse and Neglect, Children’s Bureau. Retrieved September 2012

http://wwww.childwelfare.gov/oubs/usermanuals/foundation/foundatione

3. Memorandum Circular No. 3 Series of 2016 “Amendment to the Provision in

memorandum Circular No. 23, Series of 2014 or the Guideline on Ofster Care

Service

4. http://www.gov.ph/2012/07/02/republic-act-no-10165

5. www.dswd.gov.ph/programs/adoption-and-foster-care/foster-care