Paediatric health care in the #MeToo era: Advocating for survivors of sexual violence.

Paediatr Child Health

The Hospital for Sick Children, Division of Paediatric Medicine, Suspected Child Abuse and Neglect Program, Toronto, Ontario.

Published: July 2019

AI Article Synopsis

  • The #MeToo movement has sparked a global recognition of sexual violence and encouraged women and girls to share their stories, highlighting its widespread occurrence.
  • As societal stigma and victim-blaming decrease, we expect more young individuals to disclose experiences of sexual assault and seek trauma-informed care.
  • There is a pressing need for pediatric health care providers and policymakers to enhance their awareness and responses to effectively support the increasing number of young survivors.

Article Abstract

We are witnessing a momentous cultural shift in how we understand, respond to, and resist sexual violence. Rise of the #MeToo movement has ignited a viral wave of consciousness raising, dialogue, and advocacy on an international scale. Women and girls have been empowered to share their stories of sexual assault, bringing to light the widespread prevalence of gender-based violence. As the shame and blame that have silenced victims gradually diminish, we anticipate a continued upward trend in sexual assault disclosure among youth, and corresponding increase in demand for trauma-informed paediatric sexual assault services. It is our collective responsibility to prevent revictimization and retraumatization by the very systems designed to help. In this critical lens commentary, we strongly advocate for heightened awareness and improved responsiveness among paediatric health care providers and policymakers to effectively and ethically meet the diverse needs of the growing number of young survivors who take the brave step of speaking out and reaching out.

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Source
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6587402PMC
http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/pch/pxy186DOI Listing

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