Child Protection
Child protection from violence, exploitation, and abuse is a rampantly growing concern among many human rights activists. The UNICEF reports that every year 300 million children are subjected to violence, armed conflict, child labor, child marriage, commercial sexual exploitation, trafficking, and physical abuse and mutilation. The UNICEF projects that millions more are subject to victimization and lack adequate child protection.
For example, the United Nations recently stepped in early this year and rescued 880 children soldiers from the volatile armed groups associated with the eastern province of Kivu in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The children were demobilized by the MONUC’s Child Protection Unit and restored to their families.
Children have a right to peace, safety, growth, and development. The gravity of child protection places an urgent responsibility in our hands to take a stand against the rise of this unsettling abuse. There are ways you can promote child protection and build a safe environment for children:
- Encourage governments to address and develop a stronger commitment to the protection of children.
- Promote more child protection legislation and enforcement of laws that protect children’s rights.
- Encourage others to be passionate by discussing child protection issues, raising awareness, and openly discussing child safety concerns. Target malicious social and cultural customs, practices, and attitudes that exploit or harm children and discuss these issues in your community and in activists’ forums.
- Equip children with sustainable life skills that will encourage awareness and prevent them from being vulnerable to hostile environments.
- Support organizations that equip communities with child protection services and promote the prevention of child abuse.
- Exercise your voice and demand that governments implement strict monitoring, reporting, and policing of child exploitation practices.
Children have a fundamental right to be protected from exploitation and harmful abuse. By raising awareness about child protection issues, voicing your advocacy of child safety laws, and supporting organizations that target and fight child abuse you can make an impact.
Tell us what you think!
- Do you feel that governments are adequately addressing child protection issues? Or, do you feel that there are other plaguing issues that deserve more attention?
- How aware are people in your community about child abuse?
- What are some ways that you can fight against child exploitation?
If you enjoyed reading this post, you might also enjoy our post about child poverty, hunger, education, and how to help children in need around the world.
14. April 2009 at 6:30 pm :
Perks for children during these hard times:
1. Good manners are cool again: From “ma’am” and “sir” to chores and allowances and the rest of us are feeling even more inspired to encourage old-fashioned good behavior. After all, in hard times it’s all the more important to have kids who show kindness, help out, and act pleasant.
2. Money-smart youngsters: Even if we grew up in families where talking about money was taboo, the current economic upheaval is making it difficult to shield kids from the reality of family finances. And that’s a good thing, say experts: Kids benefit from being in on the discussion.
3. Goodbye to the greed monster: Greed is out, frugality is in, and our kids will likely be more joyful because of it. “Consumerism and materialism are not happiness-builders.” While new clothes and toys create a brief mood lift – a “pleasure bubble” – this feeling quickly wears off and is replaced by a constant craving for more. By cutting back on purchases, we can break the cycle and help our kids find more genuine, lasting ways to attain happiness, such as engaging in hobbies and spending time with family.
4. A focus on helping others: In a recession, some get hit much harder than others. Hearing about other families’ struggles can help children “get” the importance of helping others – and inspire their own generosity and gratitude.
5. Learning patience and prudence: As we tighten our belts, our kids may be hearing a lot more “no’s” when they request new toys, clothes, and other stuff. They won’t like it at first, but in the long run this helps children distinguish between wants and needs. It also helps them develop self-control. “Self-regulation is an incredibly important skill. It affects performance in many areas, from school to social situations.” If your child’s old enough, you can encourage him to save up for things he wants. He may have to wait a while, but in the meantime, he’s learning how to wait. Your kids also learn a valuable lesson in self-control by watching you say “no” to yourself. So share your thoughts out loud when deciding not to purchase something, as in “I like this sweater, but we need the money for more important things.” Your kids, sponges that they are, will soak this up.
6. Imaginations running free: Research shows that unstructured time, or “free play,” is vital to your child’s development – and some experts are concerned that today’s children aren’t getting enough of it. With less disposable income floating around, free play might just regain its old popularity.
7. Less tube time: More families are saying goodbye to cable and hello to library books, playing, walking, or biking outdoors, and other TV alternatives. That’s good for our wallets, of course, but the educational and health benefits are great, too.
8. Connecting to the past: For advice on handling economic hard times with grace, some of us are turning to our grandmas, grandpas, and great-grandparents. After all, many of our elders have lived through difficult economic periods and are seasoned belt-tighteners. Hearing stories about life during the Depression and other downturns is good for our kids, too – it gives them a concrete link to history and a new respect for their older relatives. If you don’t know a senior with stories to tell, or even if you do, your kids may get a kick out of Clara’s video @ http://www.youtube.com/user/DepressionCooking
Site source: http://www.babycenter.com/0_25-good-things-about-bad-times-making-the-best-of-a-tough-ec_10311052.bc?showAll=true
14. April 2009 at 6:55 pm :
I am for the stongest laws possible to keep child abusers, explotiers, pornographers, ect.. in jail and to not let them have their records espounged. Do you know that in Louisiana I don’t know about other states but in Louisiana after 10 years a child molester can have the whole thing espounged off their record. All court documents are shredded and no evidence is left. Its like it didn’t even happen. Tell that to the victim. We need to stop making it about the rights of the criminal and start making it about the rights of the victim who has to live with this for the rest of their life.
We have serious issues when convicted child rapests and molestors are let lose to do it again. NO ONE convicted of such a crime should ever be given house arrest or allowed to live anywhere near a school or park. Schools need to do better checks on their employees. Before I moved we had a janitor who raped several male students in the bathroom of the school. Can you even imagine what these elementary students are going thru. The man was on probation and they didn’t check they just let him work in an elementary school. These kids are ruined for life. I honestly believe when it comes to this there are no second chances. This is not something that can be cured if they do it once they will do it again. No amount of therapy will EVER change them. No amount of time in jail will ever change who and what they are inside. They are sick and need to be locked up forever for the first offense. NO SECOND CHANCE!!! If it was you or your chid would you want them to have a second chance. How many time has someones second chance ruined someone’s life? Destroyed families? killed others?
14. April 2009 at 10:50 pm :
* Do you feel that governments are adequately addressing child protection issues?
I truly don’t think our government addresses child protection as severely as they use to. When child-abuse first became something our country talked about, I do believe they started implementing laws to protect our children from harm, and asking for a lot of help with this issue. I feel that health-care, the ever rising living costs, have played a major role in what’s being done about child abuse currently. I think American’s for one, are more focused on how they are going to just get by from day to day. I think not necessarily have we meant to be self-centered, but we have become so because of all the problems we are facing today. I think if our government could figure out more successful ways to deal with these issues, then the focus would be placed on more pressing issues. But, I don’t think that will happen until America see some huge changes in the next couple of years. I also believe that other countries have it tougher where child protection, exploitation, and other crimes, are concerned.
Or, do you feel that there are other plaguing issues that deserve more attention?
There are never more plaguing issues then the safety and protection of our children. “Our children are our whole-future and will be a product of the past they are raised in”.
* How aware are people in your community about child abuse?
I live in a small community, very small community, actually. I think my community is very aware of child-abuse and programs we offer to combat it. However, I don’t think we may be really aware of child abuse in other countries.
* What are some ways that you can fight against child exploitation?
Honestly, I think this can be mostly be combated through better parenting. Many of the problems associated with child abuse etc can be attributed to inexperienced parenting. I know some may not agree with me on this, but this is my own personal opinion. Parents have stopped being parents, rather they are bogged down with stress, and worrying about ways to make ends meet. You hardly ever see a parent that is not working outside the home, today it often takes two parents, leaving their children open and alone for some of these crimes to happen to them. I’m not blaming this all on parents, I just feel parenting is where it has to start.
15. April 2009 at 2:35 am :
This conversation came up at work today. Where the one pirate that was alive was a child. I’m sure you know the story because it’s all over the news. That was the sad part because he grew up in that life style. That’s sad. When children are born, they don’t have a clue on life. They are influenced by their parents on which path to take in life . Basically, when children are taught young to kill, they have been brain washed. It takes time to undo their thoughts.
Unfortunate, drugs can change our children. Parents can try to lead them in the right direction, but that’s not always a win win situration. Alot of the crime that’ s going on now is kids.
Instead of arresting them, you would think there would be a program for them. You can get more drugs in jail. You know that saying, ” Birds are that are alike flock together.” By putting our young people in jail, they learn more negitive thoughts. This is not a good thing.
Another thing I would like to bring up is TV. Watch it and tell me you don’t learn bad information on it. Children learn on breaking and entering, hot wiring cars, and much more. The TV used to have rules. Well you forget that. I believe as parents we need to keep an eye on this. That includes computers, also.
It’s up to us as parents to help our children. I know it’s hard with todays economy because we have to leave the children alone while we work. Maybe we can get a family member to check in on the kids. We need to direct them in the right direction. Teach them on good choices. Take them to church or just keep them busy. As a parent, if you see an at risk child, try to politely talk to the other parents. Maybe if you see the signs early, you can stop it.
I really don’t think you can put everything off on the goverment. Step up for yourself and do something about it. Go to microgiving.com and get funds to start neighborhood projects to help these kids. Volunteer for big bothers or sisters. It all starts with you!
15. April 2009 at 3:13 am :
Communities have become so distant that I feel that is actually more of a problem than our government taking action in child abuse. If more neighbors were more involved, more children would be protected.
Old sayings like “it takes a village to raise a child” came from somewhere, the days when other parents actually got involved and didn’t just pick up a phone expecting our government to do everything.
I also agree Lois that parents have stopped being parents. Many rely on laws to protect their kids rather than taking an active role to be involved in their childs private life and in the lives and families of those closest to your child…your neighbors. Many have tried so hard to prevent their child from knowing the true ugllies of the world that a child is not armed with good education and a plan for personal safety.
Snoop!!! Really…get involved in your kids text messages & emails. Evesdrop once in a while. You don’t have to put a stop to everything your kid is exploring even if it’s not exactly the best idea, but you will know what your kid is thinking and will know how to approach a discussion around a topic of safety related to whatever your child is exploring. Snooping just might let you know your teen girl is planning to hook up with friends at the mall where she then plans to hook up with a 22 year old man who has a car. Ok…yeah it really feels wrong to invade your kids privacy, but I’m sure many who have lost their kids to drugs, suicide, murder, kidnapping or rape who later read texts, emails and journals wished they had snooped a bit sooner so while it feels wrong, it could save their life. The trick is to let them make mistakes, just know what mistakes they are making so you can intervene in the really big ones.
Get involved with other parents and get to know the hangouts of all the local kids, more parents watching is even safer. If you think your neighbors kid is headed for trouble you can help easier if you are not a nosy neighbor, but a friend who cares.
Also…who is on your child speed dial?
15. April 2009 at 3:24 am :
I am actually completely against banning, censoring, or reducing any type of TV show, radio, book or computer media. I believe very strongly that parents have to know what their kids are doing. While a child can learn bad things, it’s also up to the parents to know what is interesting to them and generate discussion about it. Examine your kids interests and see what seems to fascinating about whatever they are wanting to watch, play or listen to.
Remember when our kids were really little we watched how they played? Learned they might be color blind by the way they chose certain toys, learned they might have been abused by the way they played with their dolls or other kids. We studied our kids when they were little and unable to really talk to us. We examined their behaviors and looked for the possibilities then took action. Just because our teens are older and can talk doesn’t mean they can really express themselves. We still need to study their behaviors, what they play with, what they listen to, what attracts their attention. What type of people they hang with and why.
I think if you truly do not want your child to read, listen to, watch or interact with something it’s up to you the parents to control it at home by either not having a TV/Computer/Radio….or using filtering equipment/software, but for me…I found that studying my kids tastes in media entertainment opened doors and let me learn about the possible potholes we would run into and we worked to try to make those potholes little more than bumps in the road rather than major crashes.
15. April 2009 at 1:44 pm :
Great Topic
Yes i realy think our government can and should do more to protect our kids.
Also creating a independent watch dog agency to oversee the case load of Social Service workers, There may be some loop holes in this agency that may need regulating. For example you dont want over load a case worker with work, so that person can give a 100% of their time in each cases to protect a child to the fullest of their ability.
We also put more focus and attention in educating our kids not to be ashamed or scared to come forward and let a teacher or some one knows of these disturbing situation at home or any where. After all no child deserved to loose their dignity to no one.
Parent should pay more vigilant in the community pay more attention to the surrounding, The people we like around we are living in a time where we are obligated to know who our neighbour are to protect kids more.
Get involved in your child social life some times will help in some ways. Because kids like to keep some situation away from parents.
15. April 2009 at 3:12 pm :
Having worked with children and families, Canada does an excellent job in the protection of children; there is always room for improvement. I cannot speak to other Countries interventions for children.
I have witnessed countless consequences of children who have been victims of various types of abuse..it is real and creates a dysfunction that will impact people for life. The imprint of abuse can be managed via counselling, but it is still a life altering trauma for kids/adults.
So, if you are aware of any type of abuse, get help for the little person, as they are helpless and your actions will stop the abuse/assault for the little people and change their lives for the better!
15. April 2009 at 4:39 pm :
I think we all need to be reminded that the sick adult abuser we all want to hate is almost always the once traumatized child grown up. Since I am a strong believer of prevention, I agree preventing our children from being abused or abducted is essential for so many obvious reasons that have been explained in the comments above. However, I am not going to be the judge of offenders because only God knows the whole story and it’s not my job to research and determine what is in the best interest of the parties after the unfortunate event took place.
I agree that parents need to be parents again. I agree “it takes a village to raise a child” for the purpose of relationships that are essential for the development and well-being of children. In a perfect world, when a person stumbles, they are to be helped back up. Here and now, you are more likely to be stepped on or overlooked because everyone is looking to get ahead. That’s why both parents work and the economy is where it is. We, as a country, tried to get ahead and continue to try and stay ahead. That directly resulted in our country and state debt which has a direct consequence on the people who reside within.
We have to work so hard just to keep up with the pack or we will fall short in our economy. This DOES leave our children open to those who have already lost the pack or dropped out of the competition to stay ahead. This can and will drive a person mad. Madness then directly relates to whatever it is they decide to do when that reality occurs; thus resulting in unfortunate events. For those offenders who do not fall into this broadened category, I have extended theories (exceptions) if you will. I do not believe it is nice or necessary to identify my exceptions because they are based on my personal beliefs, but just know, they are there.
In my experience I have come to understand a few things worth mentioning:
The U.S.A. is the land of the free, but freedom is not free.
The most dominant nation in the world is having difficulty retaining it’s title just as every dominant nation has in the history of the world. (The U.S.A. struggling)
While we citizens continue to live under the laws of the land, we are creating vulnerabilities within our homes and within our families.
If you are at work, your spouse it at work, your neighbors and their spouses are at work, who is left in the neighborhood???
15. April 2009 at 9:32 pm :
I agree with you so much on this quote. It is a sad reality that most likely if you stumble you will only be trampled by others trying to get ahead. I guess I’m stuck in a day and age where I stop and help the one who stumbled not worrying really about my place in the pack. I think I lost sight of the pack long ago, but don’t regret any time I stopped to help someone who stumbled.
15. April 2009 at 9:47 pm :
There are millions of get abuse at home all over the world. So that why i think its very important to start from home to protect our kids.
We have seen on numerous occasion these things change a child entire life. These things cause mental and emotional stress to a child, sometimes suicide.
This story is for example, An eleven year old boy from Boston MA. was being bullied for years at school, Mom made numerous complain to the school, Nothing was done by the school he could not take it any more he hang himself at home in his bedroom.
That real sad for a parent to digested, My symphaty goes out to the family, I cant even imagine their frustration and pain. And their are many more stories that dont even get to the media.
(So more must be done to protect kids all over). These are wake up calls.
15. April 2009 at 10:27 pm :
Yes, more could have been done for example, taking that child out school and home schooling him while bringing serious media attention to the problem, and filing complaints all the way to the US education department. Banding with other area parents to protest loudly and publicly about the schools lack of attention to the problem. Often she schools lack the ability to do much, but we can empower a parent to educate their child at home or help them get their child into private schools, or get tutors. Children should not be allowed to be abused by adults OR by their own peers.
Parents are often terrified of keeping their kid out of school because again our government interferes with a parents right to decide what is best for their own child. Being educated in your rights as a parent is important. The parent does not have to force their child into a situation dangerous to their mind or body. I am sure that poor kid had to have seen a doctor and someone knew he was under serious emotional risk because of school abuse. She could have used that to keep him home, but I’m sure the did not know that. I don’t place blame on the parent at all. I am sure that loving mother tried everything she knew to try and was horribly devastated by the loss of her son. Our government is designed to force you to obey laws…but not so open about telling you how you can avoid obeying laws that can bring you harm.
Example. Speeding is against the law. We all know this. But if you suddenly stomp on the gas to prevent yourself from getting hurt by lets say…falling debris. You are justified in your crime of speeding, and action would be taken to make that roadway safe so that all could obey the law.
You are not expected to obey a law when doing so could cause you physical harm or death.
I wish with my life that grieving mother and that poor lost young man knew that they could have fought the law that was forcing him into such a terrible situation, sooner or later she will learn what she “could” have done but didn’t know she could do and I hope she screams to the world…Protect your kids! Pull them out of school if school is dangerous!!! There are alternatives such as home or private schooling. Yes, they do cost but the free public education system also comes with the protection of the children and if the school cannot protect that child then the parent must use the rights they have (and often don’t even know about or told they don’t have) to force someone to pay for home schooling materials or tuition so the child can comply with the law.
It is such a sad situation Jamel, and you are right, it happens so often.
15. April 2009 at 11:14 pm :
Becky wrote:
“Example. Speeding is against the law. We all know this. But if you suddenly stomp on the gas to prevent yourself from getting hurt by lets say…falling debris. You are justified in your crime of speeding, and action would be taken to make that roadway safe so that all could obey the law.”
Another example: If you are at a red light and you see sirens behind you, you are to move regardless of the red light. Turn, pull over, or what you must do to get out of the way. Though it is against the law to run a red light, you are more obligated to clear a path for an ambulance, fire truck, or squad car~
16. April 2009 at 12:35 am :
I’m going to school to be a teacher. If I see a child with marks, and I don’t call the Hot Line For Child Abuse. I will go to jail. If you child is in school, they will be protected. I just thought that I would share this with you. It is a teachers responsibiliy to protect your children.
16. April 2009 at 10:17 am :
I feel one of the biggest problems in this country is the lack of exercise where children are concerned. You ask just about any teenager & they will flat out tell you they are entitled to their cell phone & computer. Hours spent on these devices contribute to a child getting into trouble. They communicate with people they have no business talking to . There is BTW an entire generation that managed to survive childhood without cell phones, computers & even TV. Parents hover about if a child is outside . But when that same child is in the house on the computer they are left alone. The other day a friend said she had gone to a birthday party for a child. Most of these kids sat around text messaging . They barely ate the birthday cake. Nobody talked !! With this lack of communication, no wonder kids get into trouble.
There are no complicated solutions. Just get out & do something at a grass roots level , like take a walk with the dog, or plant some flowers. Start doing simple meaningful tasks. You can still text message but not all of the time !
17. April 2009 at 2:19 am :
[...] therfore there is a tremendous urgency to intervene and put an end to child exploitation. Child protection is an issue that deserves far more attention than is adequately [...]
20. April 2009 at 12:02 am :
On one hand I agree with you, on the other…both of my kids have computers that were hand built for them. My youngest has a cell phone. Neither of my kids have ever been allowed any further than my street without their cell. Why? Drugs, gangs and weapons are everywhere!
My oldest cannot communicate well with humans. He is schizophrenic and to make matters worse, he’s also developmentally disabled. His peers have abused him time and again since childhood making going outside a fearful situation for him till this day. He is 23 now. My youngest goes no further than two houses down and all his life has stayed closer to a computer than humans he is 18 now and still doesn’t venture too far. My son has had a gun pointed to his head in a rural area when he went to a racetrack with friends who he had no clue were going for a drug deal…luckily a tornado happened and he had reason to use his cell to get out of there..never went to the races again. He has had to call home (on his cell) when he saw a friend with a sawed off gun…the boy with the gun was only 15! The reason he stays on his computer and cell is the real world has shown itself more unsafe to them than the virtual world. These things are rarer in the rural areas but if they are common enough to make kids want to stay inside, I can only imagine what life is like for urban kids.
If you look at the Augusta Chronicle to the year 2000 you will find a major drug bust on Haynie Drive in Grovetown GA. That was my house! While I was off trying to work at a store the people I lived with who were caring for my kids were selling drugs out of my home! I had no clue, they were smart enough to not be doing it when I was home. I found out when I tried to call home to check on my kids and there was no answer. I drove home with Amy to find at least 20 police cars, the DEA and my kids had been held at gunpoint. My youngest didn’t understand and kept trying to get to the woman who took care of him while I was gone. I of course was cleared of everything as the surveillance showed I had no part in anything and that the deals were going down when I was not home but that sure does make a parent feel pretty unsafe about being away from home. CPS was involved but they also knew how well concealed the drug activity was and since I was not part of the drug scene I wouldn’t have known. Needless to say, I did stop working at that store……this is yet another reason parents are poor, sometimes it is simply highly unsafe to leave your kids with anyone to work. Mine were too old for daycare.
I know what my kids are doing though. The computers and cells were not simple playpens to keep them out of my hair. They were learning tools when they were young, then communication tools later, now they are both.
When I was young we didn’t seen cable TV till I was about 9, then my mother couldn’t afford it so I grew up mostly without TV. There were no VCR’s, Microwaves, and until my teens there were no video games, computers in the home didn’t exist for me till the 80′s when I was a grown adult with a child, but I never stumbled into a gang with guns selling drugs either. I never had to worry about being gone all day without a phone because as much as all the electronics didn’t exist…neither did most of the dangers we see today.
Many parents do prefer their kids on the computer than outside, but not because we want lazy detached kid…often it is for their safety. Parents do need to be monitoring what their kids are doing online though just as they would monitor there whereabouts outside.
21. April 2009 at 5:02 pm :
I wanted to add a thought to this discussion. So many children are victims of child abuse and it make me so angry. My son has OI which is brittle bone disease and I could never even imagine putting my hands on him or my other son for any reason. If you are spanking or slapping your child what are you teaching them anyway? To hit and then it carries on to them hitting their children and so on and so on. So what happens is they think that hitting is fine and the next thing you know you have a child abuse situation. If we stop with that type of punishment now it make our childerns furtures and their childrens furtures so much brighter. There are so many ways to disipline a child why would you ever need to hit them? You don’t if you love them and use time outs, take away priviledges and incourage open communication it will be the first steps toward ending child abuse. If you feel your self in the situation where you want to hit walk away and breath hitting is not the answer.
21. April 2009 at 5:13 pm :
The sad thing is if you research CPS.. they have a very HIGH history since Bill Clinton passed the foster care bonus insintive for CPS.. the true abused children will often fall thru the cracks of the system. The need to remove that “bonus” factor and then the TRUE abuse situations would be the only cases filtering thru the system. When you use money as a motive… it causes things to go hay wire… and get out of control…and thats why God said the root of all evil is for the love of money…
22. April 2009 at 10:37 pm :
Becky..That had to be mortifying for you!!
((((( you look at the Augusta Chronicle to the year 2000 you will find a major drug bust on Haynie Drive in Grovetown GA. That was my house! ))))
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As far as kids on the internet and drugs as some one else mentioned… it used to be they could buy drugs right on line…. but thank goodness they just put the Ryan Hieght Act in place on April 15th (2009)… this should stop its availablity to be able to do that any more.
23. April 2009 at 4:57 am :
This is sadly so very true! While money is a bonus in the foster care area…lack of money causes so many to be investigated and usually charged with neglect. A huge question I have is why does a kid with tattered clothes, worn out shoes, ratty book bag, and never any brand new notebooks or field trip money trigger calls to CPS? Why does being poor automatically make one look like a bad parent.
We so often hear “my child deserves better” “my child never gets anything” “I wish I could do more for my child”….but it’s always about what money can buy. Is there no value on LOVE, understanding, nurturing, and simply doing the best you can?
When all these cases of poor kids clog up the system, the real cases, often hidden behind nice clothes, presents given to keep silent, special trips as an “I’m Sorry” go unseen.
Wouldn’t it be interesting if more kids who always had new clothes and gadgets were investigated on suspicion of buying their silence like poor kids are investigated on suspicion of negligence. Maybe we would catch some of those cruel ones who buy nice gifts to keep the victims silent. They know nobody is going to look at the really well dressed kid with all the nice gadgets….the can slide right under the radar.