By Kehinde Oluwatayo

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T he need for students to be taught about things that can culminate in rape and sexual violence to protect them from such acts has been stressed.

A Counseling Psychologist, Dr Oyenike Oyinloye who made the remarks during an interview with The Hope stressed that there is the need to prepare the mind of students on what can culminate in rape and sexual violence to protect them from abuse.

She was reacting to the alarm raised by the International Federation of Women Lawyers that over 50 students were defiled by their teachers between January and April in Rivers state and the sexual violence among schools’ students.

She said most of the incidences of rape do not happen abruptly adding that it takes a process which is why they should be taught.

According to her, making the children to know how their physiology works and issues about sex will help prevent them from abuse.

She also stressed the need to tell children to speak out whenever anybody is making advances to them and called on parents to be friendly with their children so that they can tell them whatever they are going through.

The counselor who said parents must be careful of where and whose custody they keep their children, urged them to make friends with their children such that they can open up to them on any issue and at any time.

Oyinloye charged victims of rape and sexual violence to speak up, condemning stigmatization on victims who speak up.

While saying nothing is wrong with boarding house system in schools, Oyinloye advised parents to keep constant contact with the school to know the welfare of their children.

“Counselors in schools should be available for those students who are in boarding house so that they can open up to them in case of any problem. Schools must make sure counselors are there for the students”, she said.

She called on government to punish offenders to serve as deterrent to others.