This session was aimed at engendering robust discussion among the students around child’s rights, child abuse, causes of child abuse, and forms of child abuse, its effect and solution to the menace of child abuse in our society.
The students were given tips and were also encourages to research on the topic which they did.
Below are the tips given to them as guide for the roundtable discussion centering on child rights, abuse and probable solutions.
What is Child Right?
The Child’s Rights Act defines a child as one who is below the age of eighteen years. It states that the child’s best interests must remain paramount in all considerations. A child shall be given such protection and care as is necessary for his or her wellbeing; retaining the right to survival and development; and to a name and registration at birth.
Children’s rights include their right to association with both parents, human identity as well as the basic needs for physical protection, food, universal state-paid education, health care, and criminal laws appropriate for the age and development of the child, equal protection of the child’s civil rights, and freedom.
What is Child Abuse?
Child abuse is when a parent or caregiver, whether through action or failing to act, causes injury, death, emotional harm or risk of serious harm to a child.
Forms of Child’s Abuse?
- Child Labour
This refers to the employment of children in any work that deprives children of their childhood, interferes with their ability to attend regular school, and that is mentally, physically, socially or morally dangerous and harmful. - Another form is Child Sex Trafficking
It is on record that thousands of children are lured, sold, or kidnapped for the purpose of sexual exploitation in hotels, night clubs, brothels, massage parlors, private residences, on sex tours, etc, annually. Sex trafficking has devastating consequences for minors, including long-lasting physical and psychological trauma, disease (including HIV/AIDS), drug addiction, unwanted pregnancy, malnutrition, social ostracism, and sometimes death.
Debt Bondage.
This is bonded labour which is like slavery. It involves a debt that cannot be paid off in a reasonable time. The employer/enforcer artificially inflates the amount of debt, often adding exorbitant interest or charges for living expenses, deducting little or nothing from the debt and increasing the amount of time the individual must work. It is a cycle of debt where there is no hope for freedom. (Mortgaging someone’s future, particularly, a child’s).- Involuntary Domestic Servitude
Another similar form of child abuse is involuntary domestic servitude.
Involuntary servitude occurs when a domestic worker becomes ensnared in an exploitative situation they are unable to escape. Typically, in private homes, the individual is forced to work for little or no pay while confined to the boundaries of their employer’s property. This isolation keeps them from communicating with family or any other type of support network, increasing the subjection to psychological, physical and sexual abuse.
e. Other forms of child abuse includes:
• Physical abuse.
• Sexual abuse.
• Verbal abuse
• Psychological abuse.
• Neglect.
• Emotional torture
Causes of Child Abuse
1) Negligence of parental responsibility
2) Poverty
3) Alcohol and drug abuse as leading causes of child maltreatment in the country
4) abandonment of normal infants by unmarried or very poor mothers in cities
5) Increased child labor and exploitation of children from rural areas
6) Psychological stress, social pressures
7) Inability of families or parents to meet with their economic obligations can result in diversion of anger to the children.
What are the effects of child abuse?
All forms of abuse and neglect have a harmful effect on children and young people. Below is an outline of some of the most common effects:
• Emotional scars: Children who suffer abuse or neglect feel most of the pain on the inside. Many children suffer low self-esteem and feelings of guilt, often blaming themselves for the abuse. Children can find it difficult to have trusting relationships and experience loneliness and bullying. Children often have feelings of hopelessness, hate, despair, misery, and rage, sometimes talking about feeling suicidal or self-harm.
• Physical scars: Children can have direct physical effects such as bruising, cuts, broken bones, health problems, under-nourishment or even, death.
• Impact on future wellbeing: Research shows that children who have suffered abuse are more likely to have lower educational attainment and suffer from drug and alcohol dependency. Long-term physical and mental health difficulties including depression can be a consequence. Research shows that many individuals who commit serious offences suffered from abuse during their childhood.
• Impact on families: As well as the impact of abuse and neglect on the child themselves, their family can also be affected with family members anxious and unsure about how to support a child who has been abused. A child’s behavior and attitudes can be difficult to deal with, and families often struggle to know how to cope.
Solutions and preventive measures toward addressing child abuse.
1) Domestication of Child’s Rights Act in 14 states that are yet to enact the law across the country
2) Parent should be more responsible to the upbringing of their children
3) Creation of mobile court that will cater for child and sexual abuse cases in part of the country
4) Training security operatives on ways to help provide legal support for children who are been raped
5) Investigating child abuse reports by state child protection agencies and taking legal actions against the perpetrators can help curb & remedy child abuse in Nigeria.
6) Accordingly, parents should care, support and cultivate friendly relationship with their children. Parents are highly emotional, though strict and optimistic with their children.
7) Educating parents about warning signals that indicate that the child is having difficulties managing anxiety, powerlessness, or anger can help an abused child.
Reported by Mr. Adeola Ogunlade, (08083127847), ICDB 2020 Coordinator
Edited by Rev. Dr. Titus K. Oyeyemi, (0803807144), FP/CEO APPLI/AFPLI
Date: April 25, 2020.