The reason why "women", children, and young girls don't 'wake-up' to this epidemic could be attributed to the same reason why you've just discovered this ordeal recently on TV: IGNORANCE. Women, girls, and children have been raped for millenia all across the planet. It didn't start yesterday and it certainly isn't a 'new' crisis.
That's not to say that the victims are ignorant or that the culprits are strictly to blame; however, it is foolish to conceive that it is strictly up to each individual 'victim' to address the problem when it is a social, familial, and legal responsibility.
Take for example a young girl. Is it not the father and mother's duty to educate the young girl of the dangers of talking to strangers? and being unsupervised? or to monitor her so that her uncle might not take advantage of her? But what if it is the father who is the 'perp'?
What does the mother do if he is the sole provider and threatens her with violence?
If you read case studies you'll come to understand that both in America and especially outside of the US, there is little protection to be found in the law de facto.
The problem is more universal than you think--and even more heinous. It is still good of you to have recognized it while so many drift through their lives without a clue and then never educate their children of the dangers--leaving them to become potential victims. Thus, it is up to you to make sure you can do what you can with you daughters, sisters, cousins, or female friends if you have any--in order to make sure they are prepared to defend themselves and to be prudent.
FACTS:
In 2004-2005, there were an average annual 200,780 victims of rape, attempted rape or sexual assault.
About 44% of rape victims are under age 18, and 80% are under age 30.
-RAINN.org
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The World Health Organization estimates more than 200 million children are sexually abused worldwide every year. The report was compiled by the UN's commission for Asia and the Pacific, its children's fund UNICEF and the organization ECPAT International, which stands ``End Child Prostitution, Child Pornography and Trafficking of Children for Sexual Purposes.''
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Child sexual abuse remains stubbornly resistant to change in sub-Saharan Africa; child advocates say perpetrators are shielded by traditionally low status of girls, lingering view that sexual abuse should be dealt with privately, and justice systems that constitute obstacle courses for victims; data is sparse and sexual violence is notoriously underreported; but sweep of child victimization is evident in South African police reports of more than 22,000 cases of child rape in year ending in March 2005; World Health Organization survey finds highest incidence of child sexual abuse in Namibia, where more than one in five women report being sexually abused before age 15; relatives are frequent perpetrators in Africa and elsewhere, but in Africa children face added risks from male teachers or classmates;
Sex Abuse of Girls Is Stubborn Scourge in Africa
December 1, 2006, Friday
By SHARON LAFRANIERE (NYT)