By Anette Os

Four Media Women’s Associations in East Africa have launched and publicized a media code of conduct that is aimed at ensuring sensitive reporting on issues relating to child abuse and sexual exploitation.

The associations that published the guidelines, which are based in Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, hope that they will aid media professionals in carefully addressing how to both understand and address issues of child abuse and exploitation. Though under reported, the issue is widespread. According to a presentation by Debebe Haile-Gabriel at the event launching the code of conduct, approximately 20 to 25 percent of women and five to 15 percent of men were sexually abused when they were children.

“I am very proud of this code of conduct. We are giving reference material that journalists can use when they want to report on child sexual abuse and exploitation. We have been lacking this kind of guidelines in Ethiopia,” said Abebech Wolde, Executive Directress of Ethiopian Media Women Association.

The guidelines encourage journalists to, for instance, report on instances of abuse “with scrupulous honesty and take all reasonable steps to respect the rights of the child as guaranteed by the country’s constitution and international human rights instruments” and “refrain from reporting news that shall negatively affect the life of a sexually abused or exploited child.”

According to Abebech, journalists can often be unaware of the negative effects caused by their reports. “Reporters make mistakes in good intention. They don’t know they might cause double damage … When a child is already traumatized by the crime, it can be double victimized by a media report. Reporters may not be careful in reporting, and show the child’s identity for instance,” she said.

Abebech sees a need for more communication, co-operation, understanding and trust between those involved in protecting children and those who report on child abuse and sexual exploitation. Her group and the others therefore designed the code of conduct in a way that would encourage journalists to be more active in their consideration of children’s well being when reporting on cases of abuse.  

“This code of conduct was a wake-up call for me. Before, I never interviewed children concerning their rights because I did not know how to approach them. The code of conduct made me reconsider my stand. I have realised that there are so many issues concerning children, and there is a need to cover children’s aspects of life,” said Tibebeselassie Tigabu, a journalist at The Sub-Saharan Informer’s “Society and Entertainment” section.

Abebech is also upset by the lack of attention the media gives to children’s issues, especially child abuse. She believes that the media aids in creating an atmosphere where the victim is condemned alongside his or her abuser – a situation that leaves the rights of the abused in jeopardy. “The media is a reflection of the society, and this is taken into the media houses. We have a conservative society, and we normally don’t talk about our problems,” she said. “Instead of condemning the abuser, we tend to condemn the victim as well. It seems as if media houses do not want to acknowledge that this is happening in our country.”

According to Abebech, some media houses think that reporting on child abuse will encourage abusers doing the crime. “Media has a big responsibility in this issue, but not reporting on it is not the solution. Instead, one should give the whole context, have follow-up articles and print verdicts from the court. This will discourage people. It will show that sexual abuse is not left unpunished,” she said.

Robel Belihu, a 12-year-old student at Addis Ababa’s Biruh Tesfa Primary Public School, who has not been abused, made contributions to the guidelines along with his fellow pupils. “This code of conduct can make children more aware of their rights and guide the journalists. Children can tell about abuse they have experienced, instead of remaining silent,” he said.