CHAPTER II

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

This chapter would focus on related literature and study of the researchers which
is R.A 7610 or also known as Special Protection of children against abuse, exploitation
and discrimination Act. This will help the readers and the future researchers of the same
study to improve and develop or to have a better understanding of the study. Although,
there are some literature and study which will not be specifically covered by the
researchers study, they would give at least a light background and information for the
readers.

Child abuse refers to physical, psychological injury, cruelty neglect and sexual
abuse. Physical and sexual abuse has been given attention since 1970. Hence in 1980
physical abuse has given more attention because it is the beginning of industrialization
in the Philippines, this is during the time of former president Marcos. In 1990s the
emergence on sexual abuse has been rapidly increasing that made the Non-
Governmental Organization to make a move to prevent it.

The Government and Non-Governmental Organization pay more attention to
these two forms of child abuse due to a number of factors. First is to increased
awareness of the rights of the chid locally and internationally, second is that to
recognize the importance of documentation and lastly to increase the funs for child-
centred projects (Child Abuse in the Philippines, pp 16-19). Because of the rape
increase of child abuse the government form a law that will protect the rights of the
children and it is called Republic Act 7610.

The first law that protects the children rights has been implemented during the
administration of former President Marcos. He implemented President Decrees 603 or
otherwise known as The Child and Youth Welfare. This is to protect Children from
slavery. In which during his regime the industry of the country has been develop so he
create such law to set age requirements of employment. The other law that protects the
children rights was created during the regime of former President Fidel V. Ramos and
its called Republic Act 7610. The said law was created in the pursuant of 1987
Constitution. Child Prostitution has been defined base on Article III Section 5 of this law.
Republic Act 7610 is known as an Act Providing Deterrence and Protection against
Child Abuse exploitation and Discrimination. (Master Plan of Operation against Child
Prostitution and other form of Sexual Abuse) Republic Act 7610 is a law that
contains the Rules and Regulation on the Reporting and Investigation of Child Abuse
Cases (RRRICA). It also cites the special programs that require Department of Justice
and Department of Social Welfare and Development to coordinate a program to protect
Children against child prostitution and other sexual abuse, child trafficking, other acts of
abuse and circumstances which threatens or endanger for survival and normal
development of children (Metropolitan Police Service, London.

Children experience abuse suffered an after effect on them. Most of the abused
Children identified with the self-oriented role and played the sub-roles of blocker and
avoider. The design of integrated social services for the children suffered abuses must
therefore be responsive, adequate, readily available, complementary and cost-effective.
(Bonifacio, Manuel. 1991. Understanding the Phenomenon of Street Children. pp 123-
125). In the forum entitled Philippine Youth welfare Council for the Welfare of Children
Proceedings of the Abused-Battered Child Symposium Manila, Philippines 22 May
1979, they discusses about the physiological effects of abuse and its management, and
early emergency therapeutic program for those children who are victims of exploitation.
They also tackled the sociological and cultural causes of child abuse, emphasizing that
the violence inflicted on children is a reflection of violence in social structures

Philippines are known as an archipelagic country and investors are here to
invest. However Philippines have a prominent feature of sexually and physically abused
children. Prostitution and Child Labour affects not only the children but also their
communities and families. Some of families force or encourage their children to engage
in Child exploitation to contribute in their family finances, in the other side some parents
do not require their children to do so (Ireland Kevin.Sexual Exploitation of Children and
international Travel and Tourism. Child Abuse Review 2 (1993):263-70)

In the book of OGrady, Ron entitled The Child and Tourist Bangkok: The
Campaign to End Child Prostitution in Asian Tourism, 1992 it discuss about the existing
Child Prostitution in Philippines and Thailand. The two countries share unacceptable
levels of prostitution in Asia. In the same book Child prostitution exists because there
are pedophiles. And these pedophiles are predator and motivated by an obsessive
desire to have sexual relations with children and not by any genuine concern for the
child. And tourism makes children more expose in exploitation. In the Philippines, the
sex tourism industry received a great boost when the military bases in the country.

According to OGrady countries around the world should pay attention so he
enumerates some international level of attention. And these attentions should be given
to the psychology and motivations of pedophiles, tourist education, educational and
sober treatment of the issue by the media, international efforts to make child prostitution
a crime against humanity and lastly more stringent laws against child pornography.
Because of this effort to fight child abuse it will prevent the growing number of child
exploiation.

According to the study of Narvesen, Ove. 1998. The sexual Exploitation of
Children in Developing Countries. Redd Barna Norwegian Save the Children, that child
prostitution is a recent phenomenon in the developing countries like Philippines. Also
countries that are exporting partner of the U.S are known as world most populous
region and owing to its large number of Labour-intensive export industries.

In the same studies Philippines were chosen as one of the study site because of
two reasons; the first reason is that there are number of indications that the problem is
an especially extensive one in this country. The second reason is that the organization
has potential working partner in the Philippines. They also investigate the casual factors
that affect Child Abuse and they are urbanization, machismo, colonial legacy,
commercialization, tourism, presence of military bases and lastly religious and cultural
factors.

In the report presented by U.S department of Labour, Bureau of International
Labour Affairs entitled By the Sweat and Toil of Children: The Use of Child Labour in
American Imports they said that in the Philippines where at least 5 million children work
in industrial and commercial sectors, bonded labour has also been discovered in
garment and embroider industries. Many children drop-out of school because their
parent can no longer afford the cost of education. Parents themselves belief that when
children are engaged in work at early age it will help them prepare to support
themselves in the future.

In the presentation made by Hiew, Chok entitled Child Prostitution in the
Philippines, 1993, he blamed international tourism as a main factor for Child Abuse in
the Philippines. Adding to his presentation other factors that cause Child Abuse are
poverty and lack of Political Will to suppress he said problem. In the same presentation
he introduces a strategy to prevent Child Exploitation and that is altering the socio-
economic-cultural environment, helping victims adjust to the environment and lastly
altering the immediate environment. His presentation did not end in that because two
years after Hiew, Chok present another paper entitled Child Prostitution: Stopping the
Exploiters, Rehabilitating the Victims at the 53rd Annual International Council
Psychologist Convention, Taipei, Taiwan. 1995. In his presentation he elaborated a
method that will end child prostitution in Asia. In his system he highly discourages the
foreign tourist and pedophiles from engaging sex with children. His systematic multi-
preventive interventions include legislation and law enforcement of Asian Government.,
Economic and psycho-social solutions that will distribute wealth more equitably
and strengthen the communities and families so that they care for the safeguard of their
children. Hiew, Chok prevention was inclined in the programs made by the International
Labour Organization (ILO) in their studies entitled Attacking Child Labour in the
Philippines: Indicative Frameworks for Philippines-ILO Actions, Geneva:ILO1994. In the
studies made by the International Labour Organization they present short-to-medium
term programs of actions. They also include protection, preventions and rehabilitation
for those children that has been exploited.

The child to child approach is one of the outreach approaches for the preventive
objectives as well as empowerment to help children regain their confidence and to go
forward on their own. The approach allows the children to be more sensitive to their
peers and to realize their own value and to change the way they perceive themselves