All children have the right to protection and to be safeguarded. They have the right to survive, to be safe, to belong, to be heard, to receive adequate care and to grow up in a protective environment. A family is the first line of protection for children. Parents or other caregivers are responsible for building a protective and loving home environment. Schools, religious organizations and communities are responsible for building a safe and child-friendly environment outside the child’s home.
In the family, school and community, children should be fully protected so they can survive, grow, learn and develop to their fullest potential. Millions of children are not fully protected. Many of them deal with violence, abuse, neglect, exploitation, exclusion and/or discrimination every day. Such violations limit their chances of surviving, growing, developing and pursuing their dreams. Any child can be vulnerable to violations in many places, including the home.
The actual number of children experiencing violations is not easy to determine. This type of data is hard to collect and is not updated frequently. However, it is estimated that (UNICEF Data): “Abuse in all its forms are a daily reality for many Nigerian children and only a fraction ever receive help. Six out of every 10 children experience some form of violence – one in four girls and 10 per cent of boys have been victims of sexual violence. Of the children who reported violence, fewer than five out of a 100 received any form of support.
The drivers of violence against children (VAC) are rooted in social norms, including around the use of violent discipline, violence against women and community beliefs about witchcraft, all of which increase children’s vulnerability. Nigeria has the largest number of child brides in Africa with more than 23 million girls and women who were married as children, most of them from poor and rural communities. While data suggests a decline of 9 per cent in the prevalence of child marriage since 2003, and a projected further decrease of 6 per cent by 2030, Nigeria’s rapid population growth means that the number of child brides will in fact increase by more than one million by 2030 and double by 2050.
” The population of out of school children in Nigeria has risen from 10.5 million to 13.2 million in 2017 and it would have increased more during the Covid-19 pandemic and in the incoming year 2021. . Governments, communities, local authorities and non-governmental organizations, including faith-based and community-based organizations, can help ensure that children grow up in a family, friendly and conducive environment. They can make sure that schools and communities protect all children and prevent child maltreatment. They can protect girls and boys from violations such as abuse, sexual exploitation, trafficking and work in hazardous conditions, as well as harmful practices, including child marriage. … to be continued Child abuses and definition of key terms
Okusaga Raphael is working with St. Patrick’s Missionary Society as Child Safeguarding Officer, District of West Africa, Maryland, Lagos
