Each month, ISF provides training to parents during its monthly food parcel distribution. The training and information sessions focus on things such as parenting skills, substance abuse and the importance of education. In cooperation with our partner NGO First Step Cambodia, ISF is currently conducting special training sessions on child abuse.

From May until August ISF and First Step will be holding two-hour-long sessions on sexual abuse, for around 50 parents at a time. The sessions will specifically focus on sexual abuse of boys and men. This is something that is still a big taboo in Cambodian society and there is little awareness of its existence. Traditional views of how boys and men should behave make it difficult for those affected by abuse to speak up and seek help.

The training covers different subjects, including:

• The definition of abuse and form of abuse
• Child sexual abuse can happen to both boys and girls
• How to help children who were affected by sexual abuse
• Culture and male sexual abuse in Cambodia- dealing with cultural behaviour patterns and stigma

After the first sessions, our the participants’ feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. One of our students’ mothers, Sor Mony, said “This training course helps me realize that sexual abuse can happen to both girls and boys.” Another participant, 37-year old Mr. Heng Harch, said “I never knew boy sexual abuse can happen. I always thought boys are the abuser not a victim of sexual abuse. Now I realize that, boys can be victims of sexual abuse-not only girls. Therefore, boys or male youth also need the protection from the other people surround them as well.”