Fight against child abuse rekindled

Stupid, damn, fatso, etc.

Looking at these ordinary words, one must wonder how verbal abuse can remold the life of a growing child which will later on adversely affect his life.

Based on studies, chronic illness, depression, school problems and unexplained injuries are but few of the signs that a child is living in a violent home where abuse is literally a daily occurrence.

Children living with a violent family are at high risk of suffering physical abuse themselves, regardless whether they are literally being abused physically. Emotional and mental effects are, however, far more dangerous resulting to psychological trauma later in their lives.

For the eventual elimination of child abuse, the Division of Youth Services is gearing up for a month-long community education program to inform the public of the dangers of neglect and abuse to children.

DYS officer Sheryl Cepeda urged the public to join hands with other agencies to protect the children and to be responsive to their needs as April will today be endorsed as Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Month.

According to the DYS Statistical Summary of Child Abuse and Neglect, cases reported to the division have been on a steady decline — from 750 cases in 1997, 670 in 1998, 368 in 1999, to only about 208 cases in Fiscal Year 2000.

The figure was broken down to 99 cases of physical neglect; 47 cases of physical abuse, 44 cases of sexual abuse, and 18 cases of emotional abuse. The number slid from 178 physical neglect; 93 physical abuse, 60 sexual abuse, and 37 emotional abuse in 1999.

These abuse cases are likely to result in cognitive, developmental delay, stress-related physical ailments of a child, affecting even their emotional and mental behavior.

But reports claimed that abuse is sometimes done with intention to hurt while other times without malicious intent and awareness. Regardless, it leaves physical and emotional scars that last a lifetime and most often continue in a tragic cycle into future generations.

Physical abuse include hitting, slapping, pushing, shaking while emotional or verbal abuse include put-downs, insults and threats. Neglect on the other hand include failing to provide for a child’s physical or emotional needs and sexual abuse include any sexual contact with a child, using a child for pornography, or exposing a child to adult sexual activity.

But whatever it is, abuse is a behavior that is intended to control and subjugate another human being through the use of fear, humiliation and verbal or physical assaults. (EGA)