Latih pasukan kesihatan sekolah kesan penderaan, gesa pakar

Two cases of sexual abuse were uncovered during routine health checks by a school health team in Johor, highlighting the need for better-trained teams to handle such incidents. Dr. Amir-Singh HSS, a child rights activist, stated that school health teams can play a larger role in identifying abuse but emphasized that the existing system is designed for monitoring health, not formal screening.

Currently, routine school health visits primarily focus on physical assessments, immunizations, and general well-being, while follow-up actions are taken only if team members observe behavioral changes that may indicate abuse. “If we are serious about identifying children who have been sexually abused using school health teams, we need to use screening tools regularly or investigate student self-reports,” he told FMT.

Dr. Amir also stressed that school health teams must be trained to respond professionally and sensitively to any disclosure of abuse. They should be informed about trauma, ensure confidentiality, listen to children's concerns, and avoid judging or being influenced by cultural and religious biases. “Most importantly, adults must believe children when they disclose sexual abuse and not dismiss it,” he added.

The concern stems from routine school health checks uncovering two long-standing cases of sexual abuse in Johor. On August 27, a farm worker in Muar was charged with molesting his daughter for two years after the victim disclosed the abuse during a health screening at school. Similarly, on May 6, in Batu Pahat, a 12-year-old girl, Hartini Zainudin, was involved in a case.

Hartini Zainudin, founder of the Chow Kit Foundation and a children's rights activist, agreed that school health checks can provide an opportunity for children to speak privately with a neutral professional. “Children are alone with an adult who has reasonable grounds to ask about their bodies, so questions feel less like accusations or traps,” she said.

Hartini noted that similar opportunities for personal disclosure could be created outside school through community health centers or mobile clinics, especially in rural and plantation areas. She believes that regular visits by known caregivers can build trust, as disclosures are rare on the first encounter. She also suggested additional support lines and safe spaces run by NGOs, alongside trained volunteers familiar with the dynamics of the children's environment.

“The key is not just ‘treatment,’ but privacy and regularity as a non-involved adult who understands the community's dynamics within the child's family circle,” she concluded.