Economic hardships, school closures, and loss of parental care as a result of COVID have increased children’s risk of sexual exploitation which has led to a spike in teenage pregnancies. We are calling upon parents and guardians to watch after their children so that they do not fall victim to this cruelty. Let’s not shy from educating our children accordingly because a lack of proper knowledge is a major contribution to sexual exploitation and teenage pregnancies.
Teenagers who are uneducated about sex are more likely to have an unintended pregnancy. Some teens do not fully understand the biological and emotional aspects associated with having sex. These teens may get incorrect information from friends, videos, and/or movies. Many times, teens do not have the knowledge needed to make informed and responsible decisions about whether or not to engage in sexual activity and the consequences thereafter. That’s why for the last one month we have had Sexual Reproductive Health (SRH) sessions with our high school students but your engagement as parents/guardians highly matters.
COVID 19 is also resulting in an increase in online child sexual exploitation. As schools have shut down, children are spending more time online which increases the chances of accessing inappropriate content or being sexually exploited if not well monitored. These children might be tempted to experiment on things they‘ve seen on the internet or movies.
SEX is NOT a TABOO, let’s EDUCATE OUR CHILDREN so that they can MAKE INFORMED DECISIONS.
Below is Kenya childline to report any cases of children exploitation or abuse:
Call 1 1 6
Whatsapp: +254 722 116 116
Email: [email protected]
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