Violence Against Children

Violence Against Children

The welfare of the child has often time's aroused global interest and commitment because children are the future leaders of any society. It is in view of the position of children as future leaders that the National Assembly of the Federal Republic of Nigeria signed into law the Child's Right Act 2003, Act No. 26, to provide and protect the rights of Nigerian children from abuse (F.R.N.2003) However, Child abuse has continued unabated in Nigeria in spite of the efforts of government and non-governmental organizations to protect children from abuse.

Around the world children are being abused, beaten, violated and exploited. For NGOs working to protect children from such violence, urgent action is needed. The Working Group on Children and Violence aims to promote action that will prompt violence prevention strategies and protect children who are vulnerable. In particular the Working Group focuses on the framework provided by the CRC and works towards the implementation of this instrument as a legal obligation for governments and as a core protection tool for children.

        Child abuse is defined as mistreatment of the child, which may involve physical, sexual or psychological harm, (American Academy of Pediatrics, 2000).

        According to Khatric (2000), child abuse is an act or failure to act on the part of a parent, or caregiver which leads to physical or emotional harm, sexual abuse or exploitation, or any act of failure to act which involves imminent risk of serious harm. FGN/UNICEF (2001) defines child-abuse as a situation in which a child is suffering from serious physical injury inflicted by an adult which is not accidental; is suffering harm by reason of neglect, malnutrition and sexual abuse, and or goes without necessary basic facilities, or is growing up under conditions which threaten her physical and emotional survival. Fryer (1990) maintains that child abuse is a crime and cut across all cultures, social classes and religion. Children are dependent on the adults for care, love, and protection but many a times; some adults misuse their position and authority on the child. An abused child is often burdened with a lot of tasks and responsibilities beyond his or her age. The child is pressurized, subjugated, enslaved, and over-punished for any little offence. The child is also neglected and lacks the necessities of life. Child abuse and neglect has become a pervasive phenomena which raises the concern of well-meaning individuals, educators, government and non-governmental organizations.

        Over the years issues about the girl-child have taken the front burner in many countries of the world. The Phenomenal concern given to girl-child related matters is informed by the discrimination, oppression, and abuse suffered by the girl-child. According to Abok (2009: 119). "Girl –child abuse entails all acts of commission or omission that hamper the physical, mental, social, spiritual and moral development of the girl-child". In Nigeria the girl-child has continued to suffer intense abuse despite the fact that Nigeria has enacted the Child's Right Act. The prevalence of girl-child abuse could have accrued from the negative attitude of parents towards the girl-child. Many parents in Africa, and in Nigeria in particular give preferential treatment to boys, especially in matters concerning education. Eze (2008) states that the girl-child suffers abuse and neglect more than her male counterparts. The 1984 Universal Declaration of Human Rights maintains that every person has a right to education, the girl child inclusive. However, Eze (2008), laments that this declaration is yet to turn into any meaningful action in most parts of Nigeria. Girl-child abuse, no doubt is limiting Nigerian girls from developing their potentials. A large number of girl-children, due to abuse and neglect, are being denied quality education,  which is the only sure way they can develop their potentials, become economically empowered and meaningfully contributed to the development of the country. This paper therefore looks into the facets of girl child abuse and their educational implications.

Take Care of Your Child's Health

Take Care of  Your Child's Health

Children represent the future, and ensuring their healthy growth and development ought to be a prime concern of all societies. Newborns are particularly vulnerable and children are vulnerable to malnutrition and infectious diseases, many of which can be effectively prevented or treated.

It's not always easy to figure out how to keep our children fit. There are a lot of distractions. There is also the problem of schools and the food served there. Sometimes that is the place to start.

Parents are usually allowed to eat with their children, especially if they are volunteering in classroom time. Eating with them a few times will let you see what they are serving. Look for these things

Is it healthy or is there a tablespoon of grease in the middle of the pizza? Does it look appetizing? Does it taste good? Are the kids eating it or throwing it away?

We know that far more than any one food, variety is what promotes optimal nutrition in kids," says Johnson. Because parents tend to offer the healthy choices we know will get eaten—let's say, apples and carrots-we tend to forget there are other foods kids have enjoyed in the past. 

You should always encourage to play your kid both at school and at home. I was allowed to be on the play yard with our children after. This is probably still true. It not only helps the person in charge of the playground it encourages the children to play. Playful behavior appears to have positive effects on the brain and on a child’s ability to learn. In fact, play may function as an important, if not crucial, mode for learning. Encouraging your child to take part in physical activities on a regular basis is very essential. Parents should also convince them to imbibe this activity as a part of their lives. It becomes even safer to accompany your children on a daily walk as it is an exercise that is considered to keep them in good shape. It is very important to consult a physician whenever a child is likely to have a problem related to the health. However minor the problem seems it is advisable to seek a physician's help since, they are delicate and require special attention.

If possible, play with your kids. At school they may be playing team games, or just throwing the ball around. Playing with the kids is fun, it is a good exercise for you and it shows all of the children that this is something adults do as well as children. A lot of planning and coordinating occurs no matter which phase your child is in. So, always make sure you are prepared to provide them the best of everything, watching them prosper healthy and fit. There is no mandatory rule as doing a lot of research when it comes to the wellbeing of your child. Spend your own quality time researching, without failing to get an early start so as to feel fresh and healthy as they grow along with you for a lifetime. Is not it an important things to remember?

Effects of Poverty On Children

 Effects of Poverty On Children

The issue Poverty is general scarcity, dearth, or the state of one who lacks a certain amount of money. It is a multifaceted concept, which includes social, economic, and political elements. Poverty may be defined as either absolute or relative. Absolute poverty refers to the lack of means necessary to meet basic needs such as food, clothing and shelter. Relative poverty takes into consideration individual social and economic status compared to the rest of society.

After the industrial revolution, mass production in factories made production goods increasingly less expensive and more accessible. Another importance is the modernization of agriculture, such as fertilizers, to provide enough yield to feed the population. Responding to basic needs can be restricted by constraints on government's ability to deliver services, such as corruption, tax avoidance, debt and loan constitutionality and by the brain drain of health care and educational professionals. Strategies of increasing income to make basic

Future Effect of Child Abuse

Future Effect of Child Abuse

All Researchers are agree that child abuse causes physical, social, and psychological effects on victim’s lives. However, they differ in terms of the extremities of those effects. Some people assert that extreme effects are highly likely given the fact that other issues come into play to affect those manifestations. On the other hand, others argue that there is empirical research to link long term delinquent and criminal cases with child sexual abuse. Consequently, there is a need to examine the validity of these two sides and draw a conclusion on the most feasible. (Finkelhor, 1999)

A large number of  specialists who assert that the depiction of extreme cases such as suicide, violence against others, prostitution and other criminal activities may not be valid. These specialists assert that while extreme cases occur, they are the least important in child abuse cases because there are other factors that come into play. These factors reduce the effect that a case of abuse had on a child. This also means that most of the effects that need to take precedence include loosing trust for all adults, depicting signs of cowardice, indicating sadness, having problems concentrating in class, being manipulative,

Children's Rights in United Arab Emirates

Children’s Rights in United Arab Emirates

 

Founded on 2 December 1971, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) today consists of seven federated emirates. Its first president put the country on the path to modernization, investing oil profits in building hospitals, schools and housing. The UAE is among the richest countries in the world; nevertheless, despite all efforts, children’s and non-citizens’ rights remains a matter of concern. Abuse and access to

Childrens' Rights in Africa

Children's' Rights in Africa

African Child

African children can have difficult lives. They may have to walk for miles to school or maybe they live in a conflict zone - we introduce you to some of the common challenges and the basic rights of young Africans.

Life isn't a piece of cake for many children in Africa.

While European kids are still playing with toys, African children usually have to work. In the country, hundreds of thousands go to school in the morning and in the afternoon they help their parents in the

Children’s Rights in Bangladesh

Bangladesh, which ratified the International Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) in August 1990, has committed itself to respect, defend, and promote the rights of Bangladeshi children. Yet, despite its promise, the country faces serious problems (ineffective services, inadequate politics, etc.) that are currently hindering children from accessing the full enjoyment of their rights.

Main problems faced by children in Bangladesh:

Poverty

More than 60 million children live in Bangladesh (that’s 8 times the number of children in France); half of them grow up in the most abject poverty.

Poverty, which affects a large majority of young Bangladeshi and is the result of a high unemployment rate, has severe repercussions on children’s access to: a healthy diet, health services, an education, sufficient financial resources to overcome this poverty etc.

Health

The child malnutrition rate remains troubling in Bangladesh. It mainly affects poor families who don’t have the means to easily feed themselves. Additionally, severe weather (floods, natural disasters, etc.) of

Children Rights Status in United States of America

Realizing Children’s Rights in the United States of America

USA Child Labor

The United States is the only country in the world, besides Somalia, that has not ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Generally speaking, American children’s rights are adequately protected, but considerable problems still exist regarding health care, child abuse, juvenile law, etc.

1. State of children

Main problems faced by children in the United States of America:

Poverty

At the end of 2010, the US Department of Agriculture reported that about one in four children suffered from hunger in the United States. The poverty rate among children under the age of 18 has risen to approximately 20 %, but this number varies based on a child’s ethnic and social background. For example, 43 % of African-American children live in poverty.

Poverty has a wide-ranging impact on children’s lives, as poor children are usually in worse health and

History of children's human rights

History of children's rights

Child Rights

 

Children's rights are a relatively new concept. Although Human Rights  have been discussed since the 17th century, it was not until the 19th and 20th centuries that the rights of children began to be considered. Initially, discussion of children's rights tended primarily to be focussed more on protection rights e.g. outlawing child labour, rather than any concept that children were entitled to their own rights as equal citizens of the world.
At the beginning of the 20th century millions died in the First World War and many more were orphaned by the fighting. The League of Nations was formed after the war. As an inter-governmental organisation its aim was to try to protect basic human rights standards.
Around the same time Eglantyne Jebb, a British teacher, took action. Eglantyne Jebb helped found Save the Children and drafted the Declaration on the Rights of the Child which was subsequently adopted by the League of Nations. This was designed to put pressure on the post-war governments to protect

Child Rights Global Map

Children's Rights Worldwide

The Map on the Respect of Children’s Rights Worldwide” which focuses on the situation of children and their most basic rights.

The map has been created in accordance with the “Realization of Children’s Rights Index” which rates a country’s progress in implementing Children’s Rights on a scale from 0-10.

Fundamental of Children’s Rights

Children's Right to Live

Right to Life

The right to life means that each child must be able to live his or her own life. Children have the right not to be killed. They have the right to survive and to grow up in proper conditions.

Right to Education

Right to Education

The right to education allows each child to receive instruction, to enjoy a social life, and to build his or her own future. This right is essential for economic, social and cultural development.

Right to Food

 

Right to Food

The right to food is the right of each child to eat. It is the right to not die of hunger and to not suffer from malnutrition. Every five seconds, a child dies of hunger somewhere in the world.

Right to Health 

 

Right to Health

The right to health means that children must be protected against illness. They must be allowed to grow and become healthy adults. This contributes to developing an active society.

Right to Water

 

Right to Water

The right to water means children have the right to safe drinking water and proper sanitary conditions. The right to water is essential for good health, survival and proper growth.

Right to Identity

 

Right to Identity

Each child has the right to have a surname, a first name, a nationality, and to know who his or her relatives are. The right to identity also means that each child’s existence and rights must be officially recognised.

Right to Freedom

 

Right to Freedom

The right to liberty is the child’s right to express him or herself, to have opinions, to have access to information, and to participate in decisions which affect his or her life. Children also have the right to religious freedom.

Right to Protection

 

Right to Protection

The right to protection is the right to live in a secure and protective environment which preserves the child’s well-being. Each child has the right to be protected from all forms of mistreatment, discrimination, and exploitation.

The meaning of the child and the rights of the children

Rights of the Child

The meaning of the child and the rights of the children

“Humanity has to do its best for the child.” Declaration of Geneva.

Definition of the child

Etymologically, the term “child” comes from the Latin infans which means ” the one who does not speak “. For the Roman, this term designates the child from its birth, up to the age of 7 years.
This notion evolved a lot through centuries and cultures to finally designate human being from birth until adulthood. But this conception of the child was wide and the age of the majority varied from a culture to an another.
The Convention on the Rights of the Child of 1989 defines more precisely the term “child”:

“[…] a child is any human being below the age of eighteen years, unless under the law applicable to the child, majority is attained earlier”

The idea, through this definition and all the texts concerning child welfare, is that the child is a human being with rights and dignity.
What characterizes the child, it is his youth and vulnerability. Indeed, the child is growing, a future adult, who has no means to protect himself.
So, the child has to be the object of a particular interest and a specific protection. In this perspective, texts proclaiming the protection of the child and his rights were adopted.

Definition of the rights of the child

The recognition of the rights of the children

Children’s rights were recognized after the 1st World war, with the adoption of the Declaration of Geneva, in 1924. The process of recognition of children’s rights continued thanks to the UN, with the adoption of the Declaration of children’s rights in 1959.
The recognition of the child’s interest and his rights becomes real on 20 November 1989 with the adoption of the International Convention on the Rights of the Child which is the first international legally binding text recognizing all the fundamental rights of the child.

Children’s rights: human rights

Children’s rights are human rights. They protect the child as a human being. As human rights, children’s rights are constituted by fundamental guarantees and essential human rights:

• Children’s rights recognize fundamental guarantees to all human beings : the right to life, the non-discrimination principle, the right to dignity through the protection of physical and mental integrity (protection against slavery, torture and bad treatments, etc.)

• Children’s rights are civil and political rights, such as the right to identity, the right to a nationality, etc.

• Children’s rights are economic, social and cultural rights, such as the right to education, the right to a decent standard of living, the right to health, etc.

• Children’s rights include individual rights :The right to live with his parents, the right to education, the right to benefit from a protection, etc.

• Children’s rights include collective rights : rights of refugee and disabled childrens, of minority children or from autochtonous groups.

Children’s rights: rights adapted to children

Children’s rights are human rights specifically adapted to the child because they take into account his fragility, specificities and age-appropriate needs.
Children’s rights take into account the necessity of development of the child. The children thus have the right to live and to develop suitably physically and intellectually.
Children’s rights plan to satisfy the essential needs for a good development of the child, such as the access to an appropriate alimentation, to necessary care, to education, etc.
Children’s rights consider the vulnerable character of the child. They imply the necessity to protect them. It means to grant a particular assistance to them, and to give a protection adapted to their age and to their degree of maturity.
So, the children have to be helped and supported and must be protected against labor exploitation, kidnapping, and ill-treatment, etc.

History of Liberation War 1971

The nine-month long War of Liberation waged by the people of Bangladesh in 1971 will for ever remain recorded as one of the most glorious chapters in human history. The sovereign and independent People's Republic of Bangladesh, as it stands today, is the outcome of an arduous struggle of the people under the leadership of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
The very nomenclature of the country, the declaration of independence, proclamation of the glorious War of Liberation, the national flag- the crimson sun on the canvas of green and the inspiring national anthem - all these we owe to his inspiring and unique vision and courage. He served to shape the history and aspirations of his people. He rejuvenated them with the indomitable and unbending spirit of Bengalee Nationalism, charged them with unprecedented courage, valour, resilience and granite-like unity and triggered off an armed struggle for freedom- the like of which the world rarely witnessed before.
An entire people of 70 million, inspired by their great leader Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, rose in arms against the military junta of Pakistan when years of political persuasion failed to secure for the Bengalees a place of honour and justice in that country.
Initially the peace-loving unarmed Bengalees did not know how to respond to the sudden and savage crackdown by the well-equipped Pakistani military on the night of 25 March, 1971, especially when their beloved leader had been arrested and taken to West Pakistan. The military had perhaps reckoned that suppressing any attempt at resistance by the leaderless Bengalees would be child's play. But the events proved otherwise.
The people quickly woke up to the warnings their leader had sounded time and again about the evil designs of the Pakistani military and the directives he had issued about building up resistance with whatever they had. They soon turned their anger into determination to beat back the occupying military at their own game. That meant no immediate direct confrontation at the strategic positions of the enemy troops, but employment of guerrilla tactics to drag them out of their fortresses and force them to spread out into the country-side which was the freedom fighters' home ground.
Hundreds of turbulent rivers and canals, vast swamps, unending crop fields, thick jungles, incessant rains, awe-inspiring floods and frequent storms, combined with the hostility of the local people proved to be too daunting for the Pakistani soldiers. By attacking isolated enemy positions the freedom fighters started gathering arms and ammunition, and soon found themselves trained and equipped to attack and disrupt bigger enemy camps and establishments.

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