The 2024 National Children's Month theme, “Break the Prevalence, End the Violence: Protecting Children, Creating a Safe Philippines,” emphasizes the critical need to address the pervasive issue of violence against children. This global crisis affects an estimated 1 billion children aged 2–17 annually, subjecting them to physical, sexual, emotional abuse, or neglect. In the Philippines, violence manifests in various forms, including maltreatment by caregivers, bullying in schools and online spaces, youth violence in communities, intimate partner violence in early marriages, and sexual exploitation. These acts not only compromise children’s safety but also hinder their emotional, psychological, and educational development, often resulting in lifelong trauma.
The root causes of violence are deeply rooted in multiple layers of society. At the individual level, children with disabilities, those from marginalized communities, and those exposed to violence are particularly vulnerable. Family-related factors such as poor parenting practices, lack of emotional bonding, family dysfunction, and exposure to domestic violence further increase the risk. In the community, poverty, crime, and weak social cohesion contribute to unsafe environments, while societal issues such as gender inequality, harmful social norms, and inadequate legal frameworks perpetuate violence and limit efforts to address it. These interconnected factors highlight the need for a holistic approach that addresses all levels of risk to effectively prevent and respond to violence.
To combat this issue, the INSPIRE framework serves as a strategic guide, offering evidence-based solutions for preventing violence against children. These strategies include the implementation and enforcement of laws to protect children, transforming social norms and values that condone violence, creating safe environments in schools and communities, providing parental and caregiver support to promote positive parenting, strengthening economic opportunities to reduce poverty-related risks, ensuring access to comprehensive response services for affected children, and fostering education and life skills to empower children and equip them with the tools to protect themselves. By adopting and integrating these measures, the Philippines can make significant strides towards creating a society where children are safe, valued, and given the opportunity to reach their full potential without the shadow of violence.
References:
(1) Global prevalence of past-year violence against children: a systematic review and minimum estimates. Hillis S, Mercy J, Amobi A, Kress H. Pediatrics 2016; 137(3): e20154079.
https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/violence-against-children
https://medlineplus.gov/childabu
se.html
No comments:
Post a Comment