Research

An online survey of Thorn: Digital Defenders of Children and the University of New Hampshire-Crimes Against Children Research Center,1 of 1,631 persons, aged 18 to 25 years old, who had been targets of sextortion, found out that sextortion is strongly associated with dating violence and stalking. In this survey, sextortion happened more often in face-to-face relationships than among respondents who only knew the perpetrators online. In the wake of face-to-face romantic or sexual relationships, an aggrieved partner threatened to disseminate images, either to force reconciliation or to humiliate the victim. But in the case of perpetrators whom the victims only knew online, they used sexual images of the victims to demand more images or sexual interactions. Many perpetrators, either those the victims knew face-to-face or online, also stalked the respondents, both online and in person, to deliberately cause harm.

As part of the local child protection project and partnership with local schools, a baseline survey was conducted with over 2,000 students from grades 7 to 12 from the four (4) public high schools in Puerto Galera to determine the online experience of children related to sharing of sexual and intimate contents online. The study examined the prevalence of sharing, exchanging and streaming of sexual contents online, gender differences in relation to sexting and sextort ion prevalence, and whether or not these incidents were reported to trusted adults and/or authorized persons. This document serves as a local situationer to inform and raise awareness about the risks and harms of non-consensual online sharing of sexual and intimate images. The survey report is also an essential contribution to support Stairway’s most recent eLearning course on sexting and sextortion, “For your Eyes Only”

Sexual abuse and exploitation of children has always been a problem. However, along with the rise of technology and advancements in communication, new forms of sexual abuse and exploitation have evolved, and ease of accessibility has increased the risks and dangers to children. Children need to be protected from harm of sexual abuse and exploitation, which requires information and education on risks, along with raised awareness of protective behavior in our physical world as well as online

Marginalized children, such as street children and children in conflict with the law, are at high risk of encounters with torture and other forms of violence. These children are often on the move and their pathways thus consist of encounters with many different places. Concepts such as ‘places’ and ‘spaces’ are thus relevant to examine. The aim of this thesis project is to investigate ‘places’ and ‘spaces’ in the lives of marginalized children in the Philippines in order to analyze and discuss how different NGOs understand, experience, and utilize these concepts in their work with children being subjected to torture and other forms of violence.

This study, as indicated in the foregoing, is interested in exploring the response and experience of street children who were part of the theater project. It attempts to determine theater’s efficacy as an alternative strategy to help street children in their recovery and development. Theatrical intervention is seen here as a communicative strategy for personal and consequently, social development. It is premised on the belief that theater and performance is an empowering strategy for creative self-expression and a stronger connection to the self. In the process of establishing the efficacy of theater as an alternative strategy, this research also attempts to explore how theater and performance is used as a strategy for rehabilitation and recovery. This dissertation expands its exploration to determine how and to what extent theater as a strategy for rehabilitation and recovery can also empower street children to rise above their marginalized condition. This is the problem on which is centered my continuing quest to explore the potential of theater/performing arts beyond entertainment.

This study evaluated Cracked Mirrors theater production for advocacy against child sexual abuse and exploitation. Through the literature review, the need for creative advocacy projects and the reasons to evaluate those projects are clearly presented. Also presented in the literature is the importance of changing the way society views and ignores the victims of sexual abuse. The Cracked Mirrors performance incorporates rap and song into a series of four monologues to express the painful realities of child sexual abuse and exploitation. This evaluation study utilized a survey questionnaire to randomly poll 446 audience members from nine showings in 5 separate venues within Manila, Philippines. Respondents represented various ages and countries but were not asked for any personal information

A Good Boy was formally launched September of 2005. It is the second animation by Stairway Foundation, and deals with the issue of Child Sexual Exploitation, in particular, Pedophilia. Although we can use the animation in any setting, the story being portrayed puts it in a position wherein it can be used effectively with children on the streets, as they can readily relate their situation with “Jayson” (the boy in the story). “Daughter”, which was created earlier (2004) deals primarily with the issue of Incest and is considered by many as a very powerful story. Childhope Asia Philippines, an NGO working with Street Children in Metro Manila and a partner of SFI is currently utilizing the animations for their street education program. Using their mobile education van, “A Good Boy” and “Daughter” is being shown to children on the streets.

For the next five years, SFI will be investing in program-based and organizational/structural goals that serve the overall purpose of expansion, enhanced organizational capacity, and focusing on prevalent concerns that directly affect children locally and internationally.

If gestures could produce voices, then the place aptly called “the contemplation room” where we had our CSAP session for 13 selected Deaf students from De La Salle College of Saint Benilde organized by the School of Deaf Education and Applied Studies last March 12-13, would have been filled with audible laughter, debates and conversations. Yet, even with the absence of “sound”, it still felt that I can still understand what they were trying to convene thru the emotions they were projecting, while the interpreter transformed these messages into something more cognitive. For two days, it was like listening to the sounds of their souls.

Anna is just one of the several students that undergo CSAP sessions done by the local Social Welfare and Development office in Silang using Stairway's animations.  The said sessions started when several stakeholders from the municipality, including the local Social Welfare and Development office, the DepEd and the Police attended a CSAP training, wherein, they all agreed that this is something that should be actively advocated in the locality.