THE World can seem like a complicated place at times, but let us not confuse the issue of child abuse. There are four main types and each of them cannot only harm the development of a child, but can also affect the child’s expected outcome in life. They are:
Psychological/Emotional Abuse, Physical Abuse, Neglect, and Sexual Abuse We at the Childcare and Protection Agency are mandated to protect children and to ensure that they are treated in accordance with the law and that their rights are not violated.
Psychological/Emotional abuse (an example): This type of abuse is not immediately apparent and no one can determine the long-lasting and traumatic effect it may have on a child. But when a parent or family member systematically calls a child ‘stupid’ or ‘aunty man,’ or makes fun of a child in any way, this is abuse. Some parents say hurtful things to a child to stimulate a change in behaviour. They may feel quite justified telling a child things like, ‘The child should have been aborted or they are worthless like their absent mother or father.’ But words can leave lasting scars on a person’s psyche — sometimes even more so than physical abuse.
Physical abuse (examples): This type of abuse usually follows an inherent pattern passed down from foreparents. It is a typically dictatorial action where a child is beaten mercilessly (sometimes with whatever is handy), because they have done or said something wrong. As a result, the child’s skin would have welts, bruises and even open wounds from the beating and the perpetrator is convinced that this is a punishment that fits the ‘crime,’ or it is the only way to get his/her point over and motivate behavioural change. Physical abuse can also take place when a parent or family member consistently, cuffs, punches, slaps, shoves, bites, pinches or wrings the ears of a sibling causing undue pain, discomfort and distress. Physical abuse on this scale is illegal and parents can be prosecuted.
Neglect (examples): When a parent or caregiver leaves a child (or children) alone unsupervised for long periods of time, this is neglect. When parents go out and don’t come back for days, leaving children to fend for themselves or in severe cases even allowing them to beg on the streets for their survival, this is neglect and is punishable by law. Children need to be under the care and supervision of a trustworthy adult. While neglect does not sound much like abuse, it is very upsetting to a child to know that their parent cannot care for them adequately. It makes them feel unwanted and worthless. Thoughts of being rejected and unloved through neglect can affect a child’s confidence and self-esteem and last into adulthood.
Sexual Abuse (examples): Any sexual act perpetrated on a child is sexual abuse. This includes, touching, fondling, stroking and making a child do anything of a sexual nature. Showing pornography to children and/or allowing them to watch sexually explicit movies is abuse. Penetration with an object or any other body part is abuse. Saying inappropriate things about sex to a child or exposing one’s sexual parts to a child is abuse. Forcing children to have sex or allowing them to engage in sex for money is abuse. Adults can be prosecuted for all these under the Protection of Children Act 2009.
It is sad to say, but in our society and indeed the world, children have been subjected to all of the above and even more unimaginable traumas during their short time on earth. There are some real ‘sick’ adults out there who have no respect for children and some who see them only as commodities to be used for their own deviant pleasures. Now that you have a better idea of what child abuse is, you must not be afraid to report it. Even if you only suspect that a child is being abused, it is your duty to let the Childcare and Protection Agency investigate. Children are not brought into this world to suffer at the hands of thoughtless adults.
If you are concerned about a child you can ring the CPA hotline 227-0979 or email childcaregy@gmail.com

A Message from the Childcare and Protection Agency, Ministry of Social Protection