Child Abuse The Downfall of a Nation!

Definition of Child Abuse A lot of children enjoy the bounty of psychological care and emotional support provided by their parents, but equally so there are countless others who are left abandoned or are being abused. The Oxford dictionary defines child abuse as the physical maltreatment or the sexual molestation of a child (Child Abusen.d., definition child abuse section para, para 1). This statement is further supported by the Office of Childrens Registry (OCR) where Child Abuse is defined as, any act or failure to act, on the part of a parent or caretaker, which results in death, serious physical or emotional harm, sexual abuse, or exploitation of a child. Any act, or failure to act, which presents an imminent risk of serious harm to a child also counts as child abuse (Child Abusen.d.,What is Child Abuse section, para. 1.). Abuses against children include physical abuse, emotional abuse, sexual abuse and neglect.

The impact culture has on our assets . Our children are our most valued assets. With proper love and guidance they can become a powerful generation who will direct the country towards a future with a stable economy and a more psychologically balanced society. However if they are not treated as they should then the future of our country is in jeopardy. As such we must take special care to nourish the mind, body and soul of our young generation. It is often said, it takes a village to raise a child, but our society has evolved into a culture that facilitates people turning a blind eye to what is happening to our young people. This nonchalant behavior oftentimes results in persons believing that they can get away with abusing and neglecting the younger generation. Over time the abuse has increased especially on our young girls and persons are either unaware of the abuse taking place in the home or are too single-minded to make a difference. We need to take a proactive approach in preventing child abuse so that it does not happen or if we see it happening we must be willing to be our neighbours keeper. We must remember that children are our future and we have to cherish our assets.

More girls are being abused than boys Even though the population of female executive professionals is rapidly increasing women are still viewed as the weaker sex. Whether this is a contributor of the fact that girls are more abused than boys may or may not be true. It is widely recognized that females are viewed as being more vulnerable than males and as such are oftentimes targeted accordingly. Statistics from the OCR revealed in 2011 that neglect was the most common type of abuse, with 3,562 reports to the OCR. This was followed closely by sexual abuse (2,671 reports), children in need of care and protection (2,629 reports) and physical abuse (1,783 reports) (see diagram 1).

Diagram 1. Types of Reported Abuse

Neglect Sexual Abuse In need of Care and protection Physical abuse

Source; Office of childrens registry

Even though the reports of neglect and abuse have steadily increased overtime (see diagram 2.) there is not enough being done about the situation. Diagram 2. Reported Cases of Abuse
# of reported cases 10000 8000 6000 4000 2000 0 2007 2008 2009 Year Number of reported cases 2010 2011

Source; Office of childrens registry

Individuals and associations need to make known these incidents that are destroying the lives or our young people. It should be a collective effort by all. The Minister of Youth and Culture recently stated "We need to bear in mind that the problems facing our children are multi-dimensional and will require a national resolve to deal with them over the medium to long term," Hanna said. "The solutions have to be approached at the parenting, legal and management/resources levels. Many persons are not aware of the organizations that were formed in aid of the prevention of child abuse. They are the Office of the Childrens Registry (OCR) where they receive and access reports of abuse and then hands it over to the Child Development Agency (CDA) which investigates cases of abuse and neglect and place children in child care facilities. The Office of Childrens

Advocate (OCA) also is mandated to protect and enforce the rights of children and the promotion of their well being and welfare.

Matriarchal homes are normally the victims

We need to pay special attention to the matriarchal homes where the fathers are absent. This is important because the mother may introduce a father figure where more times than not the men are sheep in wolf clothing who take advantage of these young girls. The father figure now becomes the breadwinner and as such the child is afraid to tell the mother about the abuse or if they do tell, the mother chooses to not believe for fear of the repercussions resulting from the loss of his additional income. We have reached an age where teenage pregnancy is a major public health issue in Jamaica (Watson 2011). These young girls are not yet ready emotionally to have children and the solution to them being pregnant is to have a child then discard them in a callous manner, as seen recently in the news. Due to this emotional instability they may leave the responsibility of raising their child to another adult that may or may not provide the care necessary to allow positive growth for the child.

Recommendations The earlier the abuse is caught the better. These signs are not always obvious but there are certain indicators that will aid you in deciding when a child is being abused. Some of which are; a child may seem withdrawn or overly anxious, wearing clothes that cover up the body (bruises) in excessively warm season, the child may oftentimes appear filthy and disheveled. By being vigilant about the signs of neglect you are in a position to provide adequate help and support to our young people. We need to develop a culture whereby children will be protected from abuse. It may begin in families (extended and immediate), communities (youth club organizations), and institutions (churches and schools) that can each play their part in preventing the continuous decay in our social fabric. These socialization institutions have to become facilitators that provide pathways that empower children to select paths that nurture their growth and provide positive reinforcements for a successful life. The prevention of child abuse should be a campaign where every single person (parent, guardian, sibling, caregiver, neighbour, community member), is held accountable for the love and protection of our children. Any case of abuse should be reported to the authorities.

References Child Abuse Definitions: What is child abuse? (n.d.). Office of the Childrens Registry website. Retrieved June 28 2013, from http://www.ocr.gov.jm/Child%20Abuse %20Definitions.html Child Abuse: Definition of child abuse (n.d.). Oxford University Press website. Retrieved June 28 2013 from http://oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/child-abuse. Watson P. (2011 November 23). Teenage Pregnancy-A Public health Issue In Jamaica The Jamaica Gleaner. Pg A6.