DIRECTOR of the Child Care and Protection Agency (CC&PA, Ms. Ann Greene has revealed that, very often, children try to report cases of rape, molestation, sexual and other abuse meted out to them but adults are too busy to listen and take them seriously. She said, in many investigated instances of molestation and other violation of children and their rights, it was revealed that the victims have tried to tell their parents or teachers and, in some instances, neither party took appropriate action.
Greene said, while there are children who try to speak out about those bad experiences, there are others who are not so bold and will attempt to portray their plights in body language.
She was very adamant that many adults have difficulties in identifying these hints and, as such, the number of child violations end up going unnoticed.
Greene said the CC&PA has been working closely with the Education Ministry to address that deficiency, but collaborating with parents and communities are also part of the plan that is already in motion.
She said there is somewhat of a motto that initiates the responsive actions of the members of communities. “We often say to them, if something does not look right with the child, then it probably is not right. You don’t have to know if that child is really being abused. Just tell us and we will find out if that is so.”
Actual cases
Greene said she is satisfied that the agency has been receiving the support of the communities and was able to move in and investigate reports which turned out to be actual cases of child molestation, among other things.
She observed that children spend a lot of their daily hours in the care of teachers and the latter have been receiving training to be able to detect abuse.
Greene said, once teachers see a child acting differently, they are expected to, immediately, speak with the individual and take the necessary actions.
The Ministry of Education, in collaboration with the Human Services Ministry, has the ‘TELL’ campaign ongoing to encourage children to tell if they feel they are being abused.
That campaign also makes the child aware that, while they may love and want to protect their close relatives, it is still okay to tell if they feel that loved ones, too, are doing something wrong.
Being able to point out an abuser will never be an easy task as persons have a way of concealing their devious intentions, and that is one of the reasons children need to be empowered. Outreaches to that effect are continuing, Greene added.
Greene challenged the family, as an institution to do much more and pay closer attention to the well-being and welfare of children.
Meanwhile, speaking about TELL, one of the persons involved,  Ms. Shirley Ferguson explained that the objective is, primarily, to make children aware of how to protect themselves and this is being done in primary schools.
She said, part of the awareness thrust is conducting sessions with charts containing body parts and images of children and so-called abusers. The lessons make children know that certain parts of the body should not be touched and, if this happens, they need to tell it to someone they trust.
In the absence of Ministry personnel, teachers usually conduct the sessions as they are trained for the purpose, she said.
Ferguson said, presently, ongoing lessons of that nature are being taught in 85 schools and in Regions Two (Pomeroon/Supenaam), Three (Essequibo Islands/West Demerara), Four (Demerara/Mahaica) and Ten (Upper Demerara/Upper Berbice) and in Georgetown.
Initially, 90 schools were approached to be included in the programme but five declined, citing their unpreparedness at the time. However, so far, 101 Parent Teachers Association (PTA) executives and 206 teachers have been trained for the purpose and the drive has given children the courage to tell of cases of abuse and the evidence is there to support this even as the campaign continues in 2012, Ferguson said.
She said the work of the two Ministries is being supported by several non-governmental organisations (NGOs), Red Thread and Help and Shelter among them.
The two women spoke Sunday morning on NCN Channel 11 television. With them on the panel was Reverend Kwame Gilbert, the moderator.