Teenage girls are the most susceptible to sexual abuse and exploitation among all demographic groups in Taiwan, a women's rights organization said yesterday.
Analyzing conditions among teenage girls in Taiwan on International Children's Rights Day yesterday, the Garden of Hope Foundation (勵馨基金會) blamed levels of abuse on the increasing commercialization of women in Taiwan society.
PHOTO: HAKU HUANG, TAIPEI TIMES
According to the foundation, five out of 10 victims of sexual assault, in three successive years from 1997, are girls between 12 and 17-years-old.
The survey found that 54.15 percent of the 2179 sexual assault victims reported last year were between 12 and 17 years old, and that over three-quarters of the victims were attacked by acquaintances, including friends and family.
Moreover, the foundation noted sexual exploitation against young girls has become even more rampant in Taiwan despite the fact that legislation has been passed to curb the problem.
The Child and Youth Sexual Transaction Prevention Act (
Chi Hui-jung (紀惠容), the foundation's chief executive officer, blamed the "increasing commercial exploitation" of young girls for creating the misconception that womens' bodies can easily be "sold."
It follows, she said, that young girls care little about how their bodies are exploited as long as they can get some material reward out of it.
Chi pointed out that adults are exploiting young girls in every possible way, displaying barely clothed adolescents at betel nut stands and tea shops, or employing them at hostess bars. Television is also creating an image of young girls as sexy and "buyable," she said.
The foundation also reported that teenage pregnancy is on the rise, with between 12,000 and 17,000 12 to 17-years-old girls per annum giving birth over the past few years.
While some girls chose to keep their children, it is found that many more opt to have abortions. "What is worrying is that they don't dare to tell their parents they're pregnant, but instead seek help from friends. The results could be devastating if these girls then end up having backstreet abortions or taking unsafe abortion pills," said Liu Hsu-ling (
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