Child Abuse

Jul 10, 2011 Editorial

Instances of abused children litter the pages of our newspaper with alarming frequency nowadays. Is this a new phenomenon or have we been always brutish to our children and only now been exposed in this age of social openness? Be as it may, we cannot rail at violence and injustice in our society, as we are wont to do, unless we literally nip it in the bud.
It does not matter what school of psychology or sociology we follow –all agree that not the clothes but the child that “maketh the man”. Subconsciously one’s childhood experiences, especially injuries, exert a great influence over one’s thinking as an adult and if we create damaged children we will end up with damaged adults who will act anti-socially. Unpleasant experiences sink into the psyche to later emerge as “disorders”.
It is interesting that no universal definition of child abuse exists as the concept varies from country to country. But it is universally accepted that every child has a right to be considered of equal intrinsic worth and hence entitled to equal socio-economic, civil and political rights so that he/she may realize his potential and share in life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
A working definition of child abuse may be any act of omission or commission that endangers or impairs a child’s psychological and physical health and development judged on the basis of a combination of community standards and professional expertise.
It may be committed by individuals, individually or collectively, who by their age, status, knowledge etc. are in positions of differential power that renders a child vulnerable.
Of the types of child abuse, physical abuse consists of any non-accidental form of injury or harm inflicted on a child by a person, which includes beating, burning or wounding. Physical abuse is common in our society where corporal punishment such as slapping etc. is considered the norm. However, corporal punishment that injures the child to the point where medical attention is required is a form of physical abuse outside the limits of normal corrective discipline.
It is sometimes difficult for even doctors to determine whether a child who is brought in to a hospital is the victim of an accident or whether the injury has been caused by physical abuse. It is therefore imperative for doctors to place importance on this task and be able to differentiate between accidents and abuse.
Sexual abuse cases – any sexual act with a child performed by an adult or by another child – also appears to abound in Guyana. Females appear to bear the brunt of this type of abuse but recent reports have exposed the fact that boys are also at risk.
While all sexual abuse of children are heinous, incest – sexual activity between individuals related by blood – reportedly cause the greatest and most long lasting trauma in children. Ironically it may be the most common type of sexual abuse of children on account of the opportunities presented because of the sexual predator being “family”.
Another type of child abuse that is very prevalent in Guyana but generally unrecognised is child neglect or the “failure to provide”. This consists of omission on the part of parents or care givers to provide the basic needs such as food, clothing and shelter to a child. It also includes a lack of adequate parental supervision to prevent injury, abandonment, failure to provide medical attention when required and failure to secure food whereby the child fails to get adequate nourishment.
Failure to provide precipitates a wide range of behaviours and children can feel neglected when the parents are ill, incapacitated, poor, depressed, overburdened, exhausted, ignorant or inexperienced. In certain cases, parents cannot be held responsible for not adequately providing for their children, especially when insufficient funds to provide the necessities of life are found to be the problem.
The Ministry of Social Services has its work cut out for it – but it is the work of all of us, isn’t it?

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Child Abuse

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