Over 4000 cases of child abuse recorded in 2017 - Highest rate recorded in Region 10

Over 4000 cases of child abuse recorded in 2017 – Highest rate recorded in Region 10

Mar 03, 2018 News

Mor

CPA Director, Ms. Ann Greene

e than 4,000 cases of child abuse were recorded by the Childcare and Protection Agency [CPA] during the past year. These statistics were recently released by the Agency, which falls under the purview of the Ministry of Social Protection.
According to CPA Director, Ms. Ann Greene, a total of 4,179 cases of child abuse were recorded between the period January and December 2017. This number, according to the Director, has proven to be the highest when compared to statistics over the past four years. In 2014, there were 2,745 cases, followed by 2,815 in 2015 and 3,842 in 2016.
The number of cases recorded for last year represents an 8.77 percent increase from the previous year, Greene informed.
But the CPA Director noted that even though the figures recorded for last year are high, they do not present the true picture of child abuse in Guyana, since it is often a hidden crime. For this reason, she explained, many cases go unreported.
Based on the data, Greene revealed that the rate of child abuse is highest in Region 10 reflected by 22.1 percent per 1,000 children. Following closely on the situation in Region 10 is Region Three, with a child abuse rate of 20.6 percent.
The highest ranking form of abuse was that of neglect, amounting to 2,176 cases. But according to Greene, neglect as the leading cause of abuse is not a situation that is unique to Guyana. “Neglect is a serious form of abuse and the younger the child, the more devastating it can be to that child’s growth and development,” Greene related.
Other forms of abuse recorded by CPA during the past year included sexual abuse [accounting for 841 cases], physical abuse [accounting for 834 cases], verbal abuse [accounting for 257 cases], witnessed abuse [accounting for 39 cases] and abandonment [accounting for 32 cases].
As she deliberated further on the state of child abuse, Greene shared that the highest percentage of abuse perpetrated against children is by persons within the home.
The statistics, according to her, reflects that mothers were responsible for 43 percent of the reported cases, fathers meted out 25 percent of the abuse and step-parents six percent.
“Look at where the hurt is for children, in the home…the place where they should be safe, and it is perpetrated by the people who should care about them the most,” Greene reflected.
Given the state of affairs the statistics reveal, Greene said that “we are looking at it and this calls for a study…we have to give close attention to Region 10; everything in Region 10 is rated high.”
CPA is usually tasked with examining the data relating to child abuse for the past year during the first month of each new year. This data, according to Greene, is analysed and is intended to help the Agency with its forward planning.
“The data shows that I have to focus on Region 10…data must work for you and your programme planning, and it has been working for us. We are serious about data,” said Greene.
To address the challenge of child abuse, Greene said that deliberate moves will be made by CPA this year to forge more partnerships.
“We have to work more closely with communities. This data was presented to the meeting with religious organizations on Thursday, for them to get an understanding of the situation of child abuse, and how they can assist us in the fight to alleviate it. We need to link up to keep children safe; it is not something we can do alone,” Greene asserted.
She added, “We can’t do the work for families, we have to help them and we need to bring families to the realisation of what the situation is… where the hurt is… and work with them to correct the situation.

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