What promotes vulnerability and abuse
- 1. SOME COMMON FACTORS PRESENTED BY CECILIA AMA ANDERSON - EXECUTIVE CO-ORDINATOR GLOBAL CHILDREN ACTION NETWORK P. O. BOX KN 6006, ACCRA – GHANA Email: cecilia_anderson2002@yahoo.com
- 2. These are caused by social attitudes, actions and perceptions influenced by the ff: •Obsolete socio-cultural values and belief systems and practices that impact negatively •Traditional structures and assigned social rights of children – to be seen and not heard •Ethnic minority inequality issues due to limited cultural rights and diversity •Religious beliefs, Theology and imposed values •Peer pressure, Peer influence and Peer control
- 3. 2. Adults responses that promote vulnerability - Negative attitude based on perceptions and action of adults, older children and peers toward vulnerable children – disabled, orphans, traditionally stigmatized children as “accursed children” or those linked to deities, etc. - Parents neglect of roles/responsibilities towards children/wards - No clear community policies on child care and protection - Dysfunctional Institutions that affects enforcing laws, legislation and policies
- 4. •Parents and guardians sending children to sell in the street, farm, etc., instead of encouraging them to go to school and denying them good education limits their opportunity to develop employable skills •Children withdrawn from school due to death of breadwinner or relocated to stay with a non-parent due to poverty or inability to pay school fees creates a recurring intergenerational poverty cycles •School drop-out due to poverty or parental neglect and lack of commitment to child education. • Inadequate school facilities/space
- 5. •Disruption in education due to early marriage or engagement in labour instead of being in school. •Social norms and practices based on beliefs and values that looks down on children and discriminates against them. •Forced early marriage on girls •Rites of passages that expose children to harmful social and cultural practices •Denying children the opportunity to participate in decisions that affect them
- 6. Sexual abuse, Violence and Exploitation •Using children as sex workers or encouraging child prostitution •Trafficking in children for sexual or /labour purposes •Street children can be sexually abused
- 7. •Engaging children in exploitative work that exceed the strength, capacity and can affect children’s health. This includes but not limited to not allowing time for education, learning, rest and play (e.g. child domestic workers, recruiting children into fighting forces, bonded or forced labour). •Using children as debt security or debt collateral with slavery as means for remission.
- 8. •Parents marrying off girls at young age due to cultural or traditional demands or for economic reasons •Using early marriage as denial of girl-child’s right to education •Promoting teenage (child) pregnancies and marriages old men to younger girls leading to young widowhood, poverty and related household economy pressures.