“Children are a gift from the Lord, they are a blessing” (Psalms 127:3). The Holy Bible calls upon us to love, cherish and protect children for they are blessings to their families and to society. Despite this biblical call, child abuse and child violence continue to plague world societies and children continue to be victims of abuse in its various forms.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon states, "The one thing all children have in common is their rights. Every child has the right to survive and thrive, to be educated, to be free from violence and abuse, to participate and to be heard” (www.un.org/en/events/childrenday/).
Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia offers this definition of child abuse:
Child abuse is the physical, sexual or emotional maltreatment or neglect of a child or children.[1] In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Department for Children and Families (DCF) define child maltreatment as any act or series of acts of commission or omission by a parent or other caregiver that results in harm, potential for harm, or threat of harm to a child.[2]
The appalling phenomenon of child abuse occurs at all levels of society; often in the very places where children expect to find protection and love - the home, schools, churches, community groups and organizations. Perpetrators come from all backgrounds and classes in society. One must wonder what pushes intelligent persons – parents, caregivers, law enforcers, religious leaders etc. - in these times of enlightenment, to disrespect children, harm them and violate their rights.
Abuse of any type affects children in terrible ways; however, when it comes from the very persons to whom they look for protection and love, children are not only abused, but betrayed, hurt and sometimes irreparably broken. The effects are disastrous and can seriously affect their health and their physical, mental or psychological development and even shorten their life span.
The impacts of child abuse are severe, long lasting; perhaps everlasting, for these broken children sometimes grow up into twisted adults who can become serious burdens to society. For one, their scars may render them under-productive for life. Also, abused children may grow up to be abusive parents/adults; they have the tendency to become agents of violence and crime. When this happens then all of society - innocent and guilty must pay the price for when we violate children, we create monsters that later, terrorize society as pay back to the persons who marred their lives and the society which condoned or excused them.
Starting within the family which should be a child’s safe haven, its sanctuary, children are victims of all forms of violence and abuse. Too often, children are brutally beaten, ridiculed, vilified, denigrated, tortured, sexually molested or exposed to sexual activity, neglected or abandoned by parents, family members and family friends. Moreover, it is a fact that some parents actually condone abuse of their children for personal gain. Whether this stems from poverty or other domestic deficiencies, it cannot be justified. Covering up, condoning and enabling the abuse of children is criminal; it is a serious setback in the fight against child abuse and it must not be allowed to continue. Instead, perpetrators of child abuse as well as those who shield them should be apprehended and dealt with appropriately.
Sexual abuse, although it frequently takes place within the family, is also the type of violation more prevalent in the wider society where adults engage children in sexual activity for their own profit, stimulation or gratification. Where children are made to participate in pornography or prostitution, they are sometimes offered financial incentives. In cases where adults take advantage of children for their own pleasure, the situation is further exacerbated by the fact that the children are threatened and intimidated into remaining silent. The emotional and psychological effects of this can be totally devastating. Some of these effects include:
• Guilt and self -blame
• Flashbacks
• Nightmares
• Insomnia
• Poor self-esteem
• Sexual dysfunction
• Chronic pain
• Addiction
• Self-injury
• Suicidal ideation
• A wide range of mental disorders
(Source- Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)
Churches can play a vital role in fighting this societal plague. Religious leaders have a responsibility to decry all types of evil, more so evil which is aimed at the little ones placed in the protection of their congregations. They are in the unique position of having the authority to chastise large gatherings and to guide their congregations into correct and acceptable behaviours such as respecting the human rights of everyone including children.
Child abuse and child violence cannot be vindicated; they must be condemned and totally eradicated once and for all and this can only be achieved through strong partnerships among all sectors of society as well as the building of alliances among international organizations. One of the key weapons being used to fight this plague is advocacy.
On 14th December 1954, the UN General Assembly recommended that all countries institute a Universal Children's Day, to be observed as a day of worldwide fraternity and understanding between children (www.un.org/en/events/childrenday/). Later in 2008, The World Day of Prayer and Action for Children was instituted. It is celebrated annually on Universal Children’s Day and its purpose is to bring people together to pray and take action for the well-being of children. The activities may take various forms, including mobilization and media campaigns, workshops, religious services and vigils, and common action to protect children from violence (www.un.org/en/events/childrenday/).
There are many international alliances and large organizations around the globe involved in the protection of children. Among them are:
• Child Welfare League of Canada
• Children's Rights Alliance for England
• Child Rights Information Network
• Save the Children
• UNICEF
• OECS
• KidsRights Foundation
• Children's Rights Council
• Children's Defense Fund
• First Focus
• Stand for Children
• Intact America
• The Global Fund for Children
• Caribbean Child-NGOs
• CWS Latin America/Caribbean
Children are a nation’s future; its most valuable assets; hence every adult member of society has an obligation to protect them and should not fail to carry out this responsibility. Protecting children should therefore always be priority. At the very least, they should be protected if only in recognition of the fact that they are the ones in whose hands we will place ourselves and our world tomorrow. Let us therefore avoid creating for tomorrow, through our own misdeeds, a world whose people are scarred, battered and broken.
Writer, Editor, Joyette Fabien is author of 'Four Strong Women', 'Motherless Children and other Stories', 'Those Youthful Days' and 'It's Different Now' -Short Story collections. She takes pleasure in sharing with others her wealth of experience gained through her years as a teacher as well as a lifetime of interaction with people of varying backgrounds. She has therefore, published a number of articles some of which can be found at Selfgrowth.com and joyettefabien.hubpages.com.