Child protection

Part I

“We discovered that you can spend for the education. But if a child is abused at home, she cannot learn. There is money being put in education, but if 30% of children in each classroom are being abused, how will they learn? We must educate them to protect themselves and help those who can’t.” — Katrina Legarda, legal counsel, Lawyer for Child Protection Network Foundation

Dr. Bernie Madrid, director, UP-PGH Child Protection Unit: “Poverty is a risk factor for all forms of abuse…. Sexual abuse cuts across socio-economic class. Those that get reported are mostly from poor families because the rich tend to hide their skeletons. They have more to lose.”

Mission statement of the Child Protection Unit: “The CPU is a child-friendly unit using a multidisciplinary approach and networking in providing comprehensive medical and psycho-social services to abused children and their families to prevent further abuse and to initiate the process of healing.”

The Internet has shrunk the world. It has also made it possible for perverts to reach out and corrupt children. There are Web sites for child pornography. There is danger everywhere. Incest and child abuse are prevalent globally. On all levels of society, innocent children are susceptible.

Child abuse is a silent crime so vile that its victims are traumatized and scarred for life. A sexually abused child is vulnerable to being sexually exploited and trafficked in the future. According to statistics, three million children are abused annually; 91% of perpetrators are persons known to the child. Around 65% are family. Parents, uncles, stepfathers, cousins, brothers-in-law compose 34.4%. Only 6.3% are strangers.

Meeting and working with the young victims of abuse and incest, one feels revolted and repulsed by the horrendous stories of the children. Among the marginalized sectors, the children are trapped and sent to become sex slaves in child trafficking syndicates. They are not even safe with their own parents and relatives. There are 400,000 women in the sex trade; 25% are minors.

“It is the story of dedication and commitment; of the resiliency of children; and of the building of a nation,” said Dr. Madrid of the UP-PGH Child Protection Unit. “Each child who comes to our door becomes ‘THE STORY.’ We are active participants in each story that is told. We feel the touch of fear, taste the bitterness of tears, and hear the child’s cries. But we also see the budding of hope, the radiance of a smile, and the triumph of the spirit. In the beginning, we had two mottos: ‘Just do it!’ ‘No fear!’ Well, we did it and we found that fear can be conquered by knowledge, teamwork, faith and sheer hard work.”

The CPU provides comprehensive, coordinated, and integrated services to maltreated children and their families: Medical services include management of sexually transmitted infections; mental health services with forensic psychiatric evaluation and therapy; social services such as livelihood assistance and crisis counseling; legal services — Kids in Court and legal counseling; police services; training offsite local and international training; research and publications. –Beyond Brushstrokes — By Marivic Rufino, Businessworld

To be continued