End child abuse in Namibia
SOS Children’s Village Namibia is disturbed by the increased incidences of child abuse reported by the media recently. These cases include neglect, physical harm, and sexual and emotional violence usually perpetrated by their loved ones and people who are entrusted to care for them.In a media release by the organisation, SOS said that as a key player in the child protection sphere, they strongly condemn any act of child abuse and neglect, saying “child abuse and neglect have the propensity to affect an individual's physical and mental health in both direct and indirect ways. Maltreatment at any stage (during infancy and early childhood) has the potential to negatively affect early brain development and in turn, contribute to negative behavioural health outcomes into adolescence and adulthood.”
Furthermore, SOS said that the immediate emotional effects of abuse and neglect (isolation, fear, and an inability to trust) can translate into lifelong consequences, including poor mental health and behavioural health outcomes.
Protection
“The African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child mandates state Parties (of which Namibia is a signatory), to take specific legislative, administrative, social and educational measures to protect the child from all forms of torture, inhuman or degrading treatment and especially physical or mental injury or abuse, neglect or maltreatment including sexual abuse, while in the care of a parent, legal guardian or school authority or any other person who has the care of the child,” SOS said in the release. “Equally, the Namibian Child Care and Protection Act 3 of 2015, makes provision for a wide range of services aimed at protecting children.”
The organisation said that despite these existing legal frameworks, child abuse remains prevalent.
“SOS Children’s Village Namibia, therefore, calls on all stakeholders, parents, guardians and caretakers to 1) acknowledge and understand the ripple effect child abuse has on a child; 2) prioritise and scale-up preventative and early intervention services such as awareness-raising on harmful cultural practices, improving livelihoods at community levels, especially vulnerable families to prevent child abuse and neglect; 3) strengthen community child protection structures for timely prevention and responding mechanisms; 4) widely disseminate the Child Care and Protection Act of 2015 in a manner that it reaches all corners of the nation.”
Finally, SOS Children’s Village Namibia recommits to complement the government’s efforts in providing prevention and early intervention services to prevent family separations.