Counselling in cases of suspected sexual violence against children and young people
Service description
Any sexual act carried out on, with or in front of children and adolescents against their will or to which they cannot knowingly consent due to physical, mental, intellectual or linguistic inferiority is defined as sexual abuse or sexual violence.
Children - defined by criminal law as minors under the age of 14 - cannot consent to sexual acts due to their level of development. This means that abuse also occurs if a child would have consented to the act or actively brought it about. The perpetrator uses their position of power and authority to satisfy their own needs at the expense of minors.
In addition, sexual acts against children or adolescents are punishable by law if they are committed by persons entrusted with their upbringing, education or care. This includes, for example, teachers, trainers, group leaders, instructors, etc. For sexual acts against young people between the ages of 16 and 18 to be a criminal offence, however, a relationship of dependency resulting from the custodial relationship must have been exploited.
The acts described as sexual violence cover a wide range: sexual acts include, for example, the use of sexualised words, looks or gestures, touching or stroking children's genitals, causing children to touch their own bodies in order to satisfy themselves sexually, creating sexualised images of a child, masturbating in front of a child, French kissing or showing pornography. Other forms include depictions of acts of abuse (e.g. in videos) and so-called "child prostitution". In severe cases, there is oral, genital or anal penetration of the body.
Sexual abuse is a criminal offence. Reporting the offence can give a child or young person the chance to step out of victim status. However, the protection of children and young people does not just start when there is a risk, but also helps to prevent and counteract abuse through counselling and support services.
The Saarpfalz District Youth Welfare Office is the point of contact for reports of sexual abuse and offers specialist advice and help - also in cooperation with other institutions, such as counselling centres, doctors, Childhoodhouse, etc. -etc.
Girls and boys have a great chance of coming to terms with experiences of sexual violence without long-term consequences - provided they are believed, they are protected from further assaults and they receive the necessary support in coming to terms with their experiences of violence. The district youth welfare office can give you tips on how mothers and fathers, teachers and educators can strengthen the self-healing powers of affected children. It also clarifies whether therapeutic help is necessary and helpful for a child and helps mothers and fathers, teachers and educators to provide victims with calm and child-orientated support in coping with experiences of sexual violence.
Girls and boys, young women and men have the right to have their personal boundaries respected. No one is allowed to violate their personal boundaries with words, looks, photos and touching off- or online!