DO you know what the schools, the health service, the police force, communities and churches, mosques and temples all have in common? All these establishments are frequented and manned by people who can help to prevent child abuse.

Preventing child abuse is not such a hard thing to do; it just requires adults to know their role and to act accordingly by being proactive and by doing the right thing. But while some people are genuinely uneducated and need guidance on their role and responsibility towards children: others simply turn a blind eye because they cannot be bothered to make the effort. They do not want to get involved or caught up in criminal or court proceedings. They purposely ignore the plight of abused, neglected or abandoned children, or they see it as a job for the ‘authorities’.

When it comes to working with families and their children, no one establishment can work in isolation, there needs to be a collaboration and partnership where information and advice can be networked, linked and tracked, making the workload less burdensome and more manageable. Professional agencies, like the Police Force, the Childcare and Protection Agency, the Probation & Social Services, the Health Service and schools, must work together to help families who need help.

Some professionals, like teachers, day care workers and health workers, are in the perfect position to spot early signs of child abuse or domestic violence. For instance, young children at play usually act out scenes they have witnessed at home. Children even use language that they are accustomed to hearing from their parents. Any signs of strange behaviour while at play could be a good indication that something is not right at home. Early recognition (or screening) of potential problems could make matters easier in the long run.

These young children do not have to grow into pre-adolescents and adolescents who ‘act out’ in school, or who become delinquent: If some form of intervention is taken when ‘potential problems’ are noticed in the early stages, measures can be put in place to help the child and his/her family. Parents and teachers are the main adults who mould the minds for the future. So, wherever help and guidance may be needed, a ‘care of duty’ must be enforced and the relevant authorities should be notified.

People in communities congregate in churches, mosques and temples on a regular basis. This is a good place to teach people the importance of child protection and how to prevent child abuse. Child-related issues need to be kept on the front burner so that people will recognise that every adult has a role to play in the safe-keeping of our children, it is not just one agency’s job. The more organised we are as a people at trying to prevent child abuse, the better our solutions will be. However, systems need to work at every level and the adults who are fore-runners in anything which is child-related must firstly understand why children must be protected, and secondly they must realise the positive long-term benefits for children due to timely intervention.

Although it is possible that child abuse exists on a global scale, 90 per cent of it is preventable. It simply takes the right person in the right place with the right information, to intervene or pick up the gauntlet on behalf of children and make a difference. The Protection of Children’s Act 2009 (46:06 in the Laws of Guyana) states that any professional (or lay) person who knows that a child is being abused, yet fails to notify authorities, can be prosecuted. If we look around us, we can find ample opportunities where information on child protection can be passed on, discussed and re-enforced. If you’d like to find out more about preventing child abuse or child protection please speak to one of our officers at the Childcare and Protection Agency on (227-4420; 227-4082; 231-8405; 227-7542)

If you are concerned about the welfare of a child ring the CPA hotline on 227 0979 or write to us at childcaregy@gmail.com

A MESSAGE FROM THE CHILDCARE AND PROTECTION AGENCY, MINISTRY OF SOCIAL PROTECTION