Raise awareness on child abuse, stakeholders told

The world day for the prevention of child abuse has been held in Accra on Thursday with a call on stakeholders to support campaigns to end violence against children.

Ms Delasey Adepoju, Administrative and Projects Officer, Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI), who made the call, also urged schools to hold children accountable for their actions.

She said the prevention of bullying was a collective responsibility and urged Ghanaians to work together and be mindful of the importance of keeping their children safe from any form of violence.

Ms Adepoju said bullying occurred when parents, teachers and the society stop paying attention to what is important to the children and shift focus to other issues.

“It also occurs when the children are afraid of what they do not know and this fear turns into aggression; and where it is not checked can go on to affect the lives of so many other people,” she said.

She called on the government through the Ministry of Education to train teachers, counsellors and medical personnel to help identify and address bullying and threats to children.

Ms Mary Anoff, Executive Director, Youth Life Africa, organisers of the event, said the rate of child abuse was on the increase.

“We have a rising trend in child labour, child slavery, child battery and child rape among others,” she said.

Ms Anoff said the event was aimed at creating a high sense of responsibility among the public towards the prevention of the canker, especially at the time violence against children and the youth were on the rise.

“The goal of the plan is to create a safe environment that protects children from all forms of violence wherever they occur,” she said.

She said children constitute a critical component of the human resource base in the country whose potential needed to be nurtured and harnessed in a way that would contribute positively to their development.

Ms Anoff also called for a collaborative effort between government and other agencies that would help explore innovative ways of implementing the convention.

“It is our hope that its implementation will further see progress in dealing with abuse and violence against children in the country,” she said.

Mrs Joyce Dodzi Larnyoh, Country Director, International Child Development Progamme, advised parents to adopt strategies that would meet the needs of their children.

She said parents praising their children, letting them understand issues and regulating them positively with rules and regulations would ensure a cordial relationship between parents and their wards.

Mrs Sophia Barnes, Monitoring and Data Collection Officer, Educational Management Information System, admonished teachers to stop corporal punishments, advised parents to invest in the future of their wards.

Madam Anatu Salifu, Assistant Programmes Officer, Department of Children, lauded YLA for the theme, saying it was timely especially when bullying was on the increase in the various schools and homes.

She said there was the need for responsible parenting, understanding of cultural values and the need to accelerate collective efforts in stopping bullying amongst children.

Mr Enoch Bampoe Addy, Social Development Officer, Department of Social Welfare, advised parents to support and empower their children by building capacities and teaching them on their do’s and don’ts.

He attributed the extensive recurrence of child abuse in the country to lack of supervision and adult training.

YLA is a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) and a member of the World Women’s Summit Foundation and International, Non-Profit NGO serving the implementation of women’s children’s rights in Geneva, Switzerland and also a member of Ghana NGO Coalition on the rights of the child.