Challenging questions for Child Protection Week

If I told you I’d been raped, what would your first thought be?

Would you think I’m brave - or crazy - for saying it out loud? Or would you wonder if I asked for it.
Compare this to if I said I was mugged or robbed; no one questions the victim or expects them to keep it a secret. We share those experiences openly because it’s understood that we did nothing to deserve them. Why is rape different? Why are survivors told to keep quiet, as if the shame is theirs to bear?

In South Africa, a child is raped every 30 minutes, yet most cases go unreported due to stigma and systemic failure. This silent pandemic devastates lives. For Child Protection Week 2025, the theme “Every Conversation Matters: Shifting Conversation to Action” calls us to break the silence. At the ReStory Foundation, we believe change begins with safe, open conversations. Shame must change sides - perpetrators, not survivors, must carry the blame.

Both girls and boys suffer in silence, fearing judgment and being victim blamed. Unhealed trauma perpetuates cycles of abuse, but healing begins when survivors are believed and supported. Rape is never caused by what someone wears or where they are - rapists cause rape. We must check ourselves, seeing where - even unconsciously – we place the blame, and shame, on victims.

This Child Protection Week, let’s protect children, break the silence, and restore dignity. Join us: let’s believe survivors, challenge shame, and turn conversations into action. Every child deserves safety, support, and empowerment. The shame is not theirs - let’s make it change sides, one conversation at a time.