Let's protect our children

The issue of child abuse cannot be over emphasized, there have been series of abuse by different people, even by parents themselves.

We have seen cases where parents give out a child out for marriage to a more elder man in order to get money, even cases where young women turn themselves to baby factories. Go into mass production of babies for commercial purposes. This and many more are inhuman and extreme abuse, not only to God but also to humanity.

Our aim should be to:-
Prevent cases of child abuse and reducing the number of incidents.
Making children aware of their rights and their active role in child protection
Forming an active network of protection so that all children and adults is safe and protected.
Lets define abuse in different ways

PHYSICAL ABUSE
This is the actual or potential physical harm caused by an action or lack of action, which is reasonably within the control of the parent or person in a position of responsibility, power, or trust. Physical abuse may involve hitting, spanking, shaking, throwing, poisoning, burning or scalding. It can also mean causing physical harm to a child by fabricating the symptoms of or deliberately causing ill health to a child. The incident may be single or repeated.

SEXUAL ABUSE
This is seen as an activity between a child and an adult or another child who, by age or development, is in a in a relationship of responsibility, trust or power; the activity being intended to gratify or satisfy the need of another person. Child sexual abuse involves forcing or enticing a child to rake part in sexual activities, whether or not the child is aware of what is happening.

NEGLECT AND NEGLIGENT TREATMENT
This is the inattention or omission on the part of the caregiver to provide for the development of the child in: health, education, emotional development, nutrition, shelter and safe living conditions, in this context of resources reasonably available to the family or caretaker and which causes or has high probability of causing harm to child health or physical, mental, spiritual, moral or social development. It include failure to properly supervise and protect children from harm as much as is feasible.

EMOTIONAL ABUSE.
This is the persistent emotional ill treatment of a child that adversely affects his or her self-perception and development. It may involve conveying to the child that he or she is worthless, unloved, and inadequate, or there only to meet the needs of another person or imposing inappropriate expectations upon him/her. Act include restricting movement, threatening, scaring, discriminating etc.

In preventing child abuse, we all need to stand up and say no to early marriage, for God sake their are thousand millions of ladies out there willing to gladly give out themselves for marriage, they are highly matured mentally, and sexually. What in God's name is a man of over 40 years be doing with a child of 10-13 for marriage, if not to make her life miserable. Lets say no to all this every child is an asset. When we give out this children away for marriage, their dreams and future will be shattered and they will forever not be happy.

Even emotional abuse destabilize the emotional condition of children, they act how we want them to, they become what we speak of them.

It doesn't stop at you sitting and watching all this get involved in the battle against child abuse by sensitizing the parents around you against the dangers of child abuse.

Children raised up in a hash way end up becoming terror, and end up being a problem to the community at large. If we neglect this simple things, it will fall back on us.

Lets say no to child abuse and help secure the future of our children for a great community ahead.

REMEMBER EVERY CHILDREN IS OUR CHILDREN