BoliviaComprehensive approach with girls, boys and adolescents, victims of sexual violence through complementary therapy
Sexual violence against girls, boys and adolescents is one of the worst forms of violence because it causes irreparable damage in various areas of their lives, in their present and future well-being and in their physical, mental and emotional integrity.
The Ombudsman Office of Bolivia reported that from January to June of this year, 1.274 rapes of infants and 861 cases of under-age non-consent sexual act were recorded; comparing the same period in 2023, a 6.97% increase in rape of a girl, boy or adolescent and 2.26% in under-age non-consent sexual.
Faced with this problem, the Autonomous Departmental Government of Cochabamba, the Departmental Service of Social Policies (SEDEPOS in spanish), through the Specialized Center for Prevention and Therapeutic Care (CEPAT in spanish) and Save the Children made important changes in the approach to girls, boys and adolescents. victims of sexual violence, implementing two physical spaces for Art Therapy and Body Expression, framed in psycho-pedagogical processes and complementary therapies.
Two methodological guides were also developed for managing sessions with child victims of sexual violence called “Healing Hearts.” These guides address the formation and construction of the Being, the Social Being, the art therapy and the body expression. The two spaces have been equipped with the necessary material so, that girls and boys can express their emotions through art and dance in a safe and non-threatening way, which can be an important part of their healing process.
To date, 180 boys and girls, victims of sexual violence from 3 to 17 years old from the 48 municipalities of Cochabamba have been referred to CEPAT, of which 80% are women and 60% are boys and girls from 12 to 16 years old.
Despite this progress, we recognize that there are pending challenges: improve the care services that guarantee the right to be heard for girls and boys, strengthening the intersectoral coordination and promoting unified intervention tools, and criteria with a focus on children’s rights and gender approach that regulate what needs to be done and how we should respond to the demands and needs of girls and boys who are victims of sexual violence.
