Damion Mitchell and
Trudy Simpson, Gleaner Writers<FED UP with the increasing
numbers of children being hurt or killed locally, child advocacy organisation, Hear The Children's Cry, has launched a campaign to reduce violence against children.
The campaign dubbed, 'Are the children OK?,' includes several activities aimed at promoting the safety of children. According to convenor of the organisation, Betty Ann Blaine, the level of violence against children is now worrying.
" I want to say to everybody that we are in a crisis situation as far as our children are concerned. It is now time for us to begin to act," Ms. Blaine said told The Gleaner recently. "Any society that can't protect the most vulnerable among us and these are our children, needs to ask the question: Can we continue to exist as a society? If our children are dying, so are we."
A 10-point bulletin, distributed recently by the organisation, urged Jamaicans at all levels to take steps to protect children. It also gave safety tips which ranged from assuring children that they were loved and knowing where children were at all times, to accompanying children to and from school. It urged Jamaicans to put the police emergency number 119 as a
'one-touch' step on cellular
telephones and also call to report any crime in progress using
924-1435.
The campaign launch follows warnings from officials attending the Jamaica Red Cross' biennial conference and the Paediatric Association of Jamaica's 15th biennial international conference on Saturday. They warned that the continued murder, abuse and neglect of many Jamaican children may erode past health gains if stronger action is not taken soon.
SEXUAL ABUSE
One UNICEF report showed that 119 children were murdered in 2004. The report also says 430 children were shot, and more than 900 were said to be victims of sexual abuse, including rape. The Centre for the Investigation of Sexual Offences and Child Abuse has also reported that some doctors are not reporting sex crimes involving children under the age of 16. This is contrary to existing laws, including the recently passed Child Care and Protection Act.
Over the weekend, there were calls for all sectors of society to form a common bond to protect children and for doctors to become familiar with their duties under the Child Care and Protection Act and report sexual crimes when they occur.
"We must all know the rights of children and our responsibilities to our children under the act and we must take the necessary action," said Bertrand Bainvel, United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) during the Paediatric Association's conference, held under the theme, 'Challenges in the Practice of Paediatrics'.
Both the Jamaica Red Cross' biennial conference and the Paediatric Association of Jamaica conferences were held at the Jamaica Conference Centre, Kingston.
