Ilona Gerstung from the Prevention Department of the Ludwigsburg Police Headquarters and Christina Klein from the Silberdistel specialist advice center against sexual violence against children and young people reported on their practical experience, explained forms of sexual violence and gave the young people recommendations for action. Two thirds of perpetrators come from the immediate environment, for example fathers, neighbors, coaches, sometimes mothers. As a result, there is a higher inhibition threshold to testify against the perpetrators. The speakers used games to give the young people a feeling of closeness and distance and made it clear that it is better to "sound the alarm" once too often and call in a counseling center or teacher.
The second block of the event dealt with the topic of HIV and Aids. Dr. Uschi Traub, the doctor responsible for HIV and STI (sexually transmitted infections) advice at the district council's health department, and her team informed the young people about the transmission routes, clinical picture, treatment and prevention of HIV and Aids using facts and figures. Petra G., who was actually doomed to die of HIV almost 30 years ago, gave an insight into the current life of a person with HIV-negative husband and son through her detailed and moving stories.
The final weekend of the project will take place at the end of October and the young people will carry out at least five teaching units at secondary schools in the district by Easter 2020.
If you are interested in using the "peer educators", i.e. young multipliers, in school classes, please contact Dr. Uschi Traub on 07141 144-41304 or by email at gesundheitsfoerderung[at]landkreis-ludwigsburg.de.
Background information on sexual violence:
Although there is a great fear of sexual assault among the population, it actually only accounted for 1.2% of total crimes in 2018. However, around one in four girls and one in twelve boys up to the age of 18 experience sexual assault. The Federal Criminal Police Office records 18,000 to 20,000 reported cases of sexual abuse every year. With an estimated number of unreported cases of 1:20, this means that around 400,000 children are sexually abused every year. The consequences of sexual abuse can affect a person's entire life and cause a variety of mental and physical problems. Last year, 472 victims of sexual assault were reported in the Ludwigsburg police headquarters area, 368 of whom were female. Sexual violence takes place every day in many different forms, for example rape, sexual abuse, sexual harassment or pornography. Every sexual act with, on or in front of children is sexual violence.
