Child Abuse Has Been Known to Have Serious Physical and Psychosocial Consequences Which Can...

8/9/2019 Child Abuse Has Been Known to Have Serious Physical and Psychosocial Consequences Which Can Adversely Affect

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Children are both the makers and the markers of healthy, sustainable societies. They are also the

earliest warning we get when things are going very wrong. They are the first to suffer-the adult

sins of omission (neglect of their needs) and commission (violence and other violations of their

rights) and are often quick to show the effects. Childrens nutrition, health, safety, education and

other rights are ine!tricably linked to future economic growth and shared "ros"erity, to a safe

and "rotected natural environment and to more stable societies.

#ulfilling the rights of children, as outlined in the Convention on the $ights of the Child (C$C),

is not only essential for the children for which they are intended, but are the critical foundation

for achieving robust, equitable and sustainable "rogress in the economic, social and

environmental dimensions of develo"ment.

%lobally, there has been increasing recognition of the need for actors wishing to "rotect children

from abuse, e!"loitation, violence, and neglect and to su""ort families to "rogress beyond issue-

s"ecific "olicies and "rograms for children and families towards a more integrated and systemic

a""roach.& This shifting em"hasis to a more holistic a""roach encom"asses "roactive and

"reventative child and family welfare services rather than sim"ly reactive interventions. 'oving

beyond an e!clusive focus on the individual child, interventions are being designed to take into

account the overla""ing systems that su""ort children, such as families, schools, communities,

civil society, and government.

nsofar as child "rotection is concerned, "rofessional social workers with s"ecialist skills to

identify and res"ond to child "rotection concerns according to "olicy, "rocedure, and care

standards have an essential role to "lay in ensuring that services are available to vulnerable

children and families. They require both the "rofessional mandate and requisite "owers to make

im"ortant decisions in a childs life, an authority that must be accom"anied by a duty to "rotect.

*ocial workers must therefore have a clear descri"tion and understanding of their role and, most

im"ortantly, the "ractical skills to undertake it. +s the a""roach to "lanning and im"lementation

of services becomes increasingly systems-based, staff across government de"artments and non-

governmental agencies will require more clearly defined roles and res"onsibilities within that

system as well as the necessary ca"acity to carry out their functions.


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Introduction

The Republic of Mauritius has attained substantial progress in the enhancement of humanwelfare, the ultimate goal of development. Mauritius can be considered to be one amongthe most advanced countries in the African continent on this score.

Governments investment in Health, Education, omens !evelopment and "overt#Reduction has been instrumental in the reali$ation of these achievements.

International Instruments ratified by Mauritius

%n the &''(s Mauritius has acceded to and ratified several important international humanrights instruments, namel#

)i* the +onvention on the Rights of +hild )+R+*

)ii* the African +harter for the Rights of the +hild

)iii* the %- +onvention on the orst orms of abour

)iv* the Hague +onvention on +ivil aspects of +hild Abduction.

The -ptional "rotocol on the +R+ on the sale of children, child prostitution and childpornograph# has been signed in /ovember 0((&.

urther, the Government of Mauritius has agreed to the ratification of the -ptional "rotocolto the +R+ on %nvolvement of +hildren in Armed +onflict in 1anuar# 0(('.

Child Development Unit of the Ministry of Gender Equality, Child Development andFamily Welfare

The Ministr# of Gender E2ualit#, +hild !evelopment and amil# elfare has the mandate toloo3 into protection and development needs of children from (4&5.

All /ational "olicies and "rograms to ensure overall development and protection of thechild from harm including violence are based on the articles of the +onvention on the Rightsof the +hild )+R+* and the African +harter for the Rights of the +hild.

The +hild !evelopment 6nit of the Ministr# was set up in &''7 and is the e8ecutive arm ofthe Ministr# for intervening in cases of child abuse and neglect. The 6nit is responsible forthe enforcement of legislation pertaining to children and for the implementation of policiesand programmes pertaining to the survival, development, protection and participation ofchildren.

This 6nit wor3s closel# with other agencies such asthe "olice !epartment and provides a094hour service through its hot lines. ree legal assistance and ps#chological counselling tochildren at ris3 and in distress, as well as to their parents and families are dispensedwhenever re2uired


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e!islations

The main legislations which cater for the protection and welfare of children are:

)i* the +hild "rotection Act &''9 which protects the child from all forms of harm including

violence and provides for the temporar# removal or alternative placement of the child if

living in d#sfunctional families and families with violence.

)ii* the %nstitution for elfare and "rotection of +hildren Regulations 0((( provides for the

up3eep of norms and standards at the level of !a# +are +entres and ensures that children

reall# have a good start in life and are made read# for school;

the +hild "rotection Act )oster +are* Regulations 0((0 ensure that abandoned children or

children living in d#sfunctional families have the opportunit# to thrive in a substitute famil#

environment.

)iv* the +hild "rotection )Amendment* Act 0((7, based on the "alermo "rotocol, protects

the child, including the girl child, from traffic3ing including abduction and abandonment.

)v* the +hild "rotection )Amendment* Act 0((5 provides for the setting up of a

comprehensive child mentoring programme to cater for rehabilitative needs of children with

mild behavioural problems

In Mauritius, corporal punishment is prohibited in all schools as per the EducationRegulations of 1957. It is also an oence under the C! 199" to in#ict harm on aminor.

Child +buse has been known to have serious "hysical and "sychosocial consequences which can

adversely affect the health and develo"ment of an individual. ackground or fundamental social

factors beyond the control of families, such as "overty, inaccessible healthcare, inadequatenutrition, and unavailability of education can be contributing factors to child abuse.

owever, "icking out such offenders in a crowd is an almost im"ossible task because "eo"le whoabuse children may be fathers, mothers, ste"-"arents, grand"arents, uncles, aunts and cousins. f


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course the ma/ority of our society love children and want what is best for them, but nevertheless

child abuse has become a disturbing reality in our times. s child abuse beyond our control0

Child abuse is "articularly familiar among family members. n fact, children are most frequently

abused by adults close to them and who have "ower and authority over them. This "roblem is

made worse by some cultural and social "ractices in 'auritius which do not allow children totalk in the "resence of elders. t in turn makes it difficult for a child to tell someone they have

been abused or still is, so abuse often remains hidden within the family and the community.

n 'auritius as well as in many other countries worldwide, the abuse of children is considered a

serious offence and governments has set u" numerous 1%s to combat and "revent such acts.

The 'inistry of %ender 2quality, Child 3evelo"ment and #amily welfare has a unit called the

Child 3evelo"ment 4nit (C34), which, along with the mbuds"erson for Childrens office,offer 5rotection *ervices to victims of violence, abuse and neglect as well as "rovide a hotline

service with res"ect to re"orting of a case and counselling as a""ro"riate amongst other benefits.

They encourage "eo"le who are aware of child abuse cases to take action and hel" reduce the

risk of others in the community or family.

+s the years have gone by, the cases of child abuse have become more barbaric. The fact remainsthat family members are sometimes aware of these abusive acts, but des"ite this, sadly, most o"t

to remain indifferent towards the offender due to family relations or ties. 'any cases are referred

to the C34 but that there may be more that go unre"orted and also stated that the law should betightened. 6'any cul"rits get away with minor "enalties for atrocious crimes towards children.

DIFFERENT FORMS OF CHILD ABUSES

Child abuse occurs in different ways but is all to the detriment of the childs "hysical or mental

health, education, or s"iritual, moral or social-emotional develo"ment. +ll forms of abuse andneglect are harmful to the child. 'any recognise that one definition of child abuse cannot serve

all "ur"oses. ut sim"ly stated, it is the bad treatment of a child under the age of 78 by a "arent.

There are many cases of "hysical abuse heard of and unheard of in our island. t is anything that

causes "hysical in/ury to a child such as burns or broken bones. 1ews on *unday revives the

drama that unfolded last year where a hairdresser residing in el-+ir-$ivi9re-*9che was arrested

after shocking images were released of him "hysically abusing a child. :hatever his reasonmight be, such incidents should have never been allowed to ha""en. e was eventually released

after "roviding a bail of $s ;


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relations with her uncle. The case mentioned can only make one wonder how many similar cases

are out there that have not been re"orted to the authorities.

#urthermore, emotionally abusing a child though means of belittling or calling names is also

categorised as abuse. Countless "eo"le of our society refuse to acce"t that even neglect is a formof child abuse and refuse to acce"t that its consequences can be as damaging as a child being

"hysically or se!ually abused. t is a form of abuse to de"rive a child of basic needs such as food,

clothing, warmth and shelter, emotional and "hysical security and "rotection, medical and dental

care, cleanliness, education, and su"ervision.

"RIGHT 2 LIVE:" AGAINST COMMERCIAL AND SEXUAL EXPLOITATION

Child e!"loitation is also said to be on the rise in 'auritius. Commercial or other e!"loitation of

a child refers to use of children at work or other activities for the benefit of others. This includes,

but is not limited to, child labour and child "rostitution. $ight & >ive is an 1% set u"

a""ro!imately five years ago. t consists of numerous social workers from different fields and the

main ob/ective is to bring their ideas together to hel" solve the vast social "roblems our

community encounters.

+ letter entitled ?ra"e of innocence? was recently sent to the mbuds"erson for children

regarding e!"loitation of our young. 1ews on *unday s"oke to $a/en @alayden, "resident of

$ight & >ive regarding the many issues surrounding child e!"loitation. ?t is no secret that our

society has been suffering from this "lague for many years now. Aids are having their innocence

ra"ed by those who see them as se!ual and commercial tools.

+ case was recently brought to our notice that kids were being targeted by individuals to trade

certain religious materials. They are being left to enter unknown "remises in order to ma!imise

"rofits for these individuals. :e have to ask ourselves who is guaranteeing the safety of these

kids when they enter such "remises. This is indeed an obvious case of child labourB hence our


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letter addressed to the mbuds"erson. :e want to reassure ourselves and the "ublic that

something is or will be done to sto" the "ro"aganda of such acts,? e!"lained $a/en @alayden.

1o* recently received a call from an individual alleging that a vicious circle of se!ual

e!"loitation of children in the surroundings of %rand-aie e!ists. e claimed that kids were

being brought from de"rived areas such as *aint-Croi! and $oche-ois to s"ecific locations for

se!ual e!"loitation by "erverted individuals. ayen @alayden stated that it is no sur"rise to himthat such activities were occurring on our small island.

?:e are aware of the strong claims that there is a strong market for child "rostitution amongsttourists who visit 'auritius and it will be no sur"rise to me that such a situation is "revalent. :e

have to take note that the areas mentioned above are "overty stricken which again is further

evidence that "overty is a ma/or cause of the many social "roblems we are facing today. The

"roblem of child "rostitution has e!isted for a long time and unless we work together and bringradical solutions to the table, the future looks bleak. :e have to start taking res"onsibility and

"rotect our children from those who "rey on such vulnerability,? stressed ayen @alayden.

What Shoul I Do I! I #o$ A Ch%l ha& '((# a'u&()

elieve the childDchildren are rarely mistaken about what ha""ened. ne of the most im"ortantthings a "arent or adult can do when a child tells about se!ual abuse is to treat the child in a calm

and matter-of-fact manner. Take a dee" breath. >et the child know that no matter what ha""ened

or what heEshe says, you will still love himEher. f the child has been abused, take the time toreassure the child that heEshe has done nothing wrong. >et the child know that you will do

whatever you can to kee" himEher safe. >et the child know you are someone heEshe can safelytalk to about this issue. >isten carefully to the res"onses without suggesting answers. $ecognisethat confusion, guilt and shame about abuse can make the conversation difficult, both for you and

for the child.

+cknowledge the childs discomfort and offer "raise their courage to talk about a confusing

e!"erience. $emember that if its difficult for you to discuss your concerns, it is likely to be

much more difficult for the child. 1e!t, get hel". getting round child se!ual abuse is "ossiblewith s"ecialised treatment and su""ort. There are resources throughout the country that can hel"

a family through this difficult situation.

$e"orting the abuse to authorities is an u"setting "ros"ect for many families. Fet, filing a re"ortcan be a first ste" to accessing su""ort services. Children who are abused and their families need

hel" to recover from their trauma. +nyone who is hurting a child se!ually also needs hel" and

su""ort to sto" the behaviour.


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A *%+t%, &-(a.&

6e didnt ra"e me...., but it affected me. started hating men. was ha""y with mystudies....with my friends, with my mom. 4T +T2 'F #+T2$G 'y dad abused her

daughters closeness. used to be very close to him, hed take me everywhere, and then hisfatherly caress became incest...it continued till was at college. was afraid. now make him

feel he isnt worth anything.

hated mom in the beginning because she couldnt "rotect me. 'y friends dads were their

friends, mine was my enemy,H 5ari (name changed), a I


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can "roceed to solve matters. The Child 5rotection +ct 7MM; (amended 7MM8) confers u"on the

5ermanent *ecretary or any "ublic officer designated by him to a""ly for an emergency

"rotection order in res"ect of a child who is at risk and gives the right to intervene in such cases.:e are working to get these laws more severe,H he affirmed

Children are commonly used to symbolise innocence in literature and media today. ut there is

an e!ce"tion to every rule. Teens today are committing crimes ranging from grave to "etty. t is

no secret that as a youngster, e!"eriencing the thrill of committing a crime can be tem"ting for

many. owever, what drives a child to commit hard crimes such as assault, murder, ra"e, se!ual

offences amongst others0

'any "ro"ose rash and radical solutions, like "rosecuting and "unishing all children as if they

are adults. ut we have to remember that children do not automatically turn into adults by virtue

of the seriousness of their crime. :hat drives a young "erson to commit crime0

Do 1ou th%#. -(o-h%l%a %# Mau0%t%u& $%ll o0 ha*( al0(a1 a!!(+t( th( ,(#tal%t1 o! ou0

1outh& o# ho$ th(1 &houl '(ha*( %# &o+%(t1)

M N of the se!ual abusers have been ill-treated, abandoned without any source of love, or victims

of se!ual abuses themselves. Therefore it is im"ortant to talk about those crimes. + child victim

has to be hel"ed by a qualified "sychologist. %oing to the "olice is very im"ortant too. Today

"eo"le are more educated and more conscious of the gravity of any form of se!ual abuse.

What &houl -a0(#t& o)

n every case of se!ual abuse, "arents have to hear, listen and believe the child. Children do not

have the "sychological maturity to create such details. Children must be "rotected from the

"er"etrator. The abuse will go on even if the "er"etrator "romises he will sto" - he will notG They

have to be res"ected so they can learn to res"ect


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http$%%&&&.de'media.info%ne&s(sunda)%societ)%item%"""+(&hat(dri0es()oung(

children(to(commit(crimes.html

http$%%oco.go0.mu%English%ocuments%report+-11%chapter.pdf

http$%%sa're(ngo.org%assets%pdf%thematic%Report2on23treet2Children.pdf

Report of a rapid assessment and anal)sis of 0ulnerablities facing orphans and

other 0ulnerable children and )outh 4o0c), and the 6ualit) of o0c) proects and

programmes in sadc(((sadc secretariat, 2008

8ICE: Child rotection 3trateg) +nnual session &

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