'Yusri and His Secret': Protecting our boys from sexual abuse

In the story, Yusri is groomed and then molested by his "friend", who threatens to tell the young boy's friends that he "likes to be touched" if he reports the abuse to anyone. Photos: WCC

The Women's Centre for Change, Penang has launched Yusri and His Secret, a story about a 11-year-old boy who was molested by an older friend he trusted and looked up to, to raise awareness about child sexual abuse on boys, a topic that is not often spoken about openly.

The story, available online in English today with upcoming versions in Bahasa Malaysia, Chinese and Tamil, shares how Yusri is groomed and then molested by his "friend", who threatens to tell the young boy's friends that he "likes to be touched" if he reports the abuse to anyone. Traumatised and full of self-doubt and self-blame, Yusri pulls away from his friends and becomes reclusive. He finally shares his secret with his close friends who notice a change in him. They urge him to tell his mother, who reassures Yusri that what happened was not his fault at all. She then tells him that they have to make a police report to stop others from being abused.

Though the story of Yusri is fiction, it is based on actual cases of child sexual abuse involving boys that WCC has supported over the years.

"One case which we handled last year involved an 11-year-old boy who was sexually abused twice within a short period of time by two different male perpetrators – he was molested the first time, and sodomised the second. Another case which we are handling this year involves a 14-year-old boy who was sodomised by an adult male in his 20’s. The perpetrator had used a fake Instagram account, pretending to be a girl, and had persuaded the victim to send him nude photos of himself.

"The perpetrator then used these nude photos to blackmail and force the victim into allowing himself to be sodomised. The perpetrator recorded the act and shared it with the victim's Instagram contacts, which led to the latter being beaten up and bullied in school.," shares WCC's programme director, Karen Lai.

Although the majority of CSA victims are girls, and most of the discussion on sexual assault centres around women and girls, it is important to highlight that boys are also exposed to the risk of sexual abuse, says Lai.

"The number of boy victims supported by WCC in court has nearly doubled compared to last year, with 8 boys in 2019 and 15 boys as of September 2020. Earlier this year, a security guard in Penang was charged with 23 counts of sex-related offences, including 7 counts of physical sexual assault on a 9-year-old boy," she adds.

The heightened vulnerability of children to sexual abuse and exploitation during the Covid-19 pandemic, what with the closure of schools and increasing dependency on the internet and social media for communications and virtual learning, prompted WCC to publish Yusri and His Secret, with the support from Yayasan Hasanah and Prihatin.

Boy victims of sexual abuse, Lai points out, often find it harder to speak out about the abuse they may experience.

"Stereotypes about masculinity can make it hard for boys to disclose (abuse) to friends, family, or the community. Such stereotypes include the idea that boys need to be tough and avoid showing weakness. Due to such stereotypes and social conditioning, boys may also face challenges believing that it is possible for them to be victims of sexual violence.

"Often, as in the second case above, instead of receiving sympathy and support, boy victims face the risk of being derided, bullied and even assaulted when the abuse comes to light.

"Socially and culturally, we need to destigmatise sexual abuse against boys and create a supportive environment for victims to come forward and report their story. This includes changing the way we speak about male victims and ultimately, about masculinity. If we continue to shame men and boys for being vulnerable and opening up emotionally, we will perpetuate the problem," says Lai.

WCC hopes that Yusri and His Secret will encourage boy victims to come forward and also raise public awareness that abuse can happen to anyone: girls and boys, men and women.

"We hope that this story will open more public discussions and raise awareness on CSA against boys, as it is a highly under-discussed issue. As a society we need to do better to protect our children, and end sexual violence in all its forms," Lai concludes.