ONCE again, we have concluded the observance of Child Protection week under the theme, “Promoting social change to stop the violation of children”, with the focus, as is only to be expected, on child sexual abuse and other forms of abuse which now form the daily life of so many children in Guyana and across the globe.

Children’s rights include the right to health, education, family life, play and recreation, an adequate standard of living, and to be protected from abuse and harm. Non-discrimination means that all children have the same right to develop their potential in all situations and at all times.

Like never before, so many of our children’s daily existence as human beings with the right to life and enjoy an incident-free childhood and experience the joys of childhood have become perilous, from neglect, physical and emotional, and that, for so many varied reasons, add to a further confusing mental state of these wonderful beings.
In every sense, children are innocent beings; it is an undeniable fact that observing a gathering of children, whether at play in their homes, school yards or in public spaces, is always a reminder as to the ideal that this world ought to be.

But for millions of children around the world, inclusive of Guyana, this is not the ideal, for their innocence is being made into a living hell and nightmare, because of the cruel, exploitative and pedophilic adults who surround them and control their young lives.
Simply put, child sexual abusers, of any hue and shade, are very sick people; they are monsters in human form. In the least, they are inhuman and fall outside the pale of human decency. And we need not repeat this problem that exists in Guyana, as evidenced by the numerous felons who have been receiving the condign sanctions of the judiciary, by way of draconian sentences, since their deeds had reached what is sadly epidemic proportions, as reported in the media, and the Child Care and Protection Agency(CCPA) Director Ann Greene, who disclosed that a total of 2532 cases of child abuse were recorded in Guyana between January and August 2019, and that that number was only the tip of the iceberg.
But Guyana has not been lapsing in the battle to combat this well-known sexual scourge and predatory behaviour that continues to be committed by a type of male whose moral perceptions of himself has become dangerously distorted. Apart from what could be described as the most comprehensive collective legislation, on any social issue, in Guyana, as a result of the nation-wide Stamp-it-Out consultation paper, the Sexual Violence Bill, the Juvenile Justice Act to ensure perpetrators are brought before the courts and prosecuted, which also covers sexual abuse and other related felonies, there have also been the commissioning of three specialised courts, since 2015, which have resulted in the speedy dispensation of justice, bringing satisfaction, even if not complete closure, for the many victims, even as the rate of conviction, since 2015, has risen from a 10 per cent conviction rate to over 60 per cent since its.

There is, however, the need for a sustained, public education as to what is really child abuse, since the still popular perception and understanding among some Guyanese is that child abuse is about sexual and indecent acts committed on the child.
**Dr. Astell Collins, speaking last Tuesday at a parenting education session hosted by Blossom Incorporated, underlined the fact that “Sexual abuse has its own connotation of stain, and it’s very damaging. Beyond that, verbal abuse is prominent in child and parent relations.”

It is a position with which we concur, as many parents and guardians, even teachers, are known to inflict emotional and psychological harm on children without realising the harm they are doing, and by extension the offence they are committing, such as calling a child names, just for the sake of it, or administrating disciplinary measures.

For example, there is what Dr. Collins referred to, which we interpreted as going home, perhaps against a background of varied challenges/circumstance, and “letting go on the people we love”. Some of the more well-known forms of abuse include refusing a child food, and asking the child to leave the home, and are all forms of child abuse that have evolved out of custom and practice, and further accepted as the correct manner of bringing a child to ‘subjection’. Just recently, a mother inflicted a horrendous beating with a piece of wood on her teenage daughter, while a male held the child down and a female recorded the action for posting on Facebook, all the while egging the mother on to inflict more abuse on the hapless child. Absolutely, they are disciplinary relics of a dark age, which would have brought so much harm to young children, which they still bear even in their adult lives. It is time that such anti-children/inhumane practices cease; they have no place as part of the understanding of bringing up our children today.

Child sexual abuse is still a major social issue in our society; a scourge, to be more precise. The government’s CC&PA and organisations such as Blossom Incorporated must be congratulated for being part of the national process, bringing awareness through their country-wide programmes on “child education”, “sexual abuse and violence”, “signs and symptoms”, and how to engage children in such a grave situation. But others must also be part of this national crusade, such as religious bodies, human resource departments and their staff, and other social hubs, since incidents of child sexual abuse and offenders have been found to cut across every social line, and can only be confronted in a holistic manner.
We should all embrace the fight to protect the rights of our children, and to ensure that child sexual abuse is not tolerated. Often the victims are females, but we must understand that in many cases, males are also victims. Parents and guardians must stop the practice of sweeping these matters under the carpet. Instead, address the issue and remove the mental and emotional trauma that that child will live with for years.

It is important for every Guyanese to be vigilant and have a listening ear to safeguard Guyana’s children from sexual and all other forms of child abuse.