Child Sexual Violence: How the System Responds — and What Each of Us Can Do

ГО МАРТІН-клуб
Jun 18
3 min read

Updated: Jun 19

Children who witness or experience violence don’t just “forget”

Sexual violence is a difficult topic to discuss. But it becomes even more painful when it concerns children. Often, adults are unsure how to respond — they hesitate, wondering “was that really abuse?”, especially if the child doesn’t speak up, if there’s no clear evidence, or if shame gets in the way. And while all this unfolds, the child remains alone with something they cannot name or explain.

Even if it’s not direct abuse, simply growing up in an environment where violence is present causes harm. Children who are constantly exposed to aggression live under chronic stress. It affects their ability to concentrate, their anxiety levels, their capacity to learn and communicate. Later in life, they often repeat these patterns or find themselves in violent situations again. This is not coincidence — it’s the result of unprocessed trauma that was never acknowledged or stopped in time.

In the first quarter of 2025 alone, MARTIN Club supported 32 cases of child sexual abuse. Each one wasn’t just a number in a database. It was a real child — often very young. A family. Fear. And hope that someone would respond properly.

How the system responds: establishing a specialized service

We’ve learned from experience: support doesn’t become effective just because it “exists.” For help to truly work, someone needs to bring it all together. That’s why in 2025, MARTIN Club launched a specialized Expert Response Service for child survivors of sexual violence, including cases related to the war (CRSV). It’s a unique structure within the civil sector and is already operating on a regional level.

This service is activated once a case is reported — by police, a hospital, social services, the MARTIN Club hotline, or any other communication channel. At that point, a professional team steps in: a case manager, psychologist, lawyer, social worker — all of them highly trained in responding to traumatic events involving children.

The service doesn’t rely on intuition. It operates systematically — based on approved protocols, interagency cooperation, and structured coordination. It was designed to prevent help from falling apart into disconnected pieces — a single conversation, a one-off police report, a hospital visit — and nothing more. The team builds an individual response plan, supports the child through every stage, documents the case, represents the child’s interests, and ensures that the goal is

The role of the case manager: someone who holds it all together

When something like this happens, families often don’t know where to begin. Do they go to the police first? Or to the doctor? Should they see a psychologist? Should they file a report? How do they talk to the child?

In those moments, it’s crucial to have someone who sees the full path ahead.

👉 The case manager is that person.

They coordinate support, explain rights to the parents, and bring together the efforts of lawyers, law enforcement, and mental health professionals. They ensure the child is not retraumatized and — most importantly — that the child doesn’t just go through the motions, but actually begins to recover.

What can adults do?

If you learn that a child has experienced sexual violence, your responsibility is not just moral — it’s legal.

✅ According to Resolution No. 585 “On Ensuring the Social Protection of Children in Difficult Life Circumstances,”

any adult who becomes aware of a case of violence against a child is required to report it to the police, the child welfare service, or another authorized body within 24 hours.

This doesn’t just apply to teachers or social workers — it applies to anyone who witnesses or learns of such a situation.

Here’s what you can do:

Contact the police immediately — by calling 102 or visiting the nearest station.
Notify the local child welfare service — in your municipality.
Reach out to a support organization, such as MARTIN Club.

And here’s how you can support the child:

Provide safety and stability — stay close, even when the danger seems to have passed.
Allow the child to express themselves — through conversation, drawing, play, or anything familiar.
Model healthy relationships — ones based on respect, safety, and trust.
Help rebuild their confidence — offer encouragement, acknowledge their strengths, and remind them they are not to blame.

Unfortunately, sexual violence against children is not rare. And the worst thing we can do is look away or stay silent, hoping it will somehow resolve itself.

Support isn’t just about professionals. It’s about attentive adults. About the willingness to act. About those who aren’t afraid to take responsibility — for the child and for the system.

At MARTIN Club, we work every day to make that system real: responsive, humane, and professional.

But every system begins with a single call.