Young and forgotten: A case study on the coping and quality of life of sexually abused children in the Philippines

• Main Authors: Dolojan, Faye Angela A., Garcia, Raymond Levin Q., Guillermo, Patrick Carlo C., Luna, Mia Franchesca M.
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 2016
• Subjects: Sexually abused children > Philippines; Adjustment (Psychology) > Philippines; Child psychology > Philippines; Psychology
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etd_bachelors/8836
• Institution: De La Salle University

Child sexual abuse in the Philippines continues to rise rapidly by the year, labeling the issue as the second most common case handled by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD). The lack of awareness, failure to implement laws, and especially services to aid sexually abused children in dealing with the psychological effects acts as a hindrance in their reintegration to their communities. This exploratory case study focuses on the experiences of six adolescents ranging from ages 13 to 17 from an in-depth narration of their sexual abuse experiences, to their coping strategies and how these experiences affected their quality of life, and their integration back into society with a non-governmental organization for anti-child sexual abuse. The Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Systems Theory was used to determine the reintegration of the participant in the society into three categories: microsystem ecosystem, and macrosystem. Participants showed effects to their psychological development, through physical changes, cognitive changes and socio-emotional changes.