SANTO DOMINGO.- The Center for Gender Studies (CEG), of the Technological Institute (INTEC), demanded that the State create a policy in the Dominican educational system to prevent and eliminate violence against girls and women.
“During recent years, the incidence of serious cases of rape has spread to the community, which have taken place in educational centers. An extremely serious problem in which authorities competent authorities, instead of addressing them, they hide their magnitude among scattered words, postponing the solution and ignoring their seriousness,” he warned. Desiree Del Rosariogeneral coordinator of the CEG.
The educator understands that the cases that have been presented show that there have been insufficient preventive actions and an inadequate approach to the problems that generate and sustain the forms of relationships within educational centers.
«Research shows that violence in education is “frequent, complex and “multifaceted”. Its results show the serious situation that the people are living and experiencing. girls and adolescents in educational centers, including the loss of life of young students who have not had the opportunity to have their cases attended to with due diligence,” lamented Del Rosario.
It is in the face of such a reality that the lawyer and social activist, who is also a lawyer, believes it is necessary and cannot be postponed to call on the Ministry of Dominican Republic Education (MINERD), in order to “establish a policy and protocol on harassment, violence and bullying in Dominican schools.”
Desiree Del Rosario
Del Rosario explained that the cases of Esmeralda Richiez, in Higüey, and the most recent of a teenager at the Syrian school in San Pedro de Macorís, are just examples that the essential role that the educational system must play to prevent violence is not being adequately assumed by the Dominican educational system.
«For decades the responsibility of establishing specific frameworks for its approach from an educational, reconstructive vision that offers security for the students,” said the expert.
Likewise, Del Rosario denounced that cases of rape, abuse and violence in an educational context do not have a specific record.
“Contrary to what was expected, in the event of a crime, different teachers are transferred and reports of abuse and harassment are ignored,” he stated.
Worrying data
The teacher stated that the data published by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) states that “up to 25% of adolescents declare having suffered sexual violence, in 40% of cases within the educational center, girls being particularly vulnerable to this type of violence.
Likewise, he called to observe and address the violence suffered by teachers in the educational environment. “It is important not to overlook the various forms of violence suffered by teachers and the school staff, including physical assault, verbal abuse, and psychological and sexual harassment.”
Likewise, Del Rosario warned that violence represents an indicator that the system has recognized as disruptive to the achievement of learning, to health. emotional of the and the students and a generator of quality loss education.
«An environment of anxiety, fear and insecurity is incompatible with learning and, therefore, unsafe learning environments can undermine the quality of education for children and adolescents,” he reported.
Likewise, among its consequences he cited that boys, girls and adolescents They have difficulty concentrating at school, they miss classes, they avoid school activities, they are absent from educational centers without justification or, directly, they drop out of school. studies.
