Child abuse: Lagos engages 300 parents on preventive measures

Over 300 parents were at the weekend engaged on key issues relating to child protection and prevention in furtherance of Lagos State governor, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode’s directives to ensure that child’s rights are upheld and child abuse is eradicated from the state.

Coordinator of State Domestic and Sexual Violence Response Team (DSVRT), Mrs Titilola Vivour-Adeniyi, disclosed this in a statement made available to newsmen at the end of the first Lagos State 1-day Parents/ Teachers Association (PTA) Conference on Child Abuse, organised by the Agency.

Participants at the conference were drawn from both public and private institutions, consisting of members of various PTAs from over 100 schools located in Education District Six within the state.

Vivour-Adeniyi said that whilst law enforcement, religious institutions, social workers, school administrators, health workers, community leaders and other relevant stakeholders were being trained on how to appropriately respond to Child Abuse in the state, parents, who should usually be first responders must not be left out as they had a pivotal role to play in preventing and responding to Child Abuse.

DSVRT coordinator said the parents were engaged in an interactive manner and empowered with information as to what child abuse entailed, as well as the ramifications and importance of child’s rights.

“Parents were further informed of the signs to look out for if there is a suspected case of abuse, and steps to take if a child is indeed being abused.

“The provisions of the Lagos State Mandated Reporting Policy was also communicated to participants. Child abuse is indeed criminal and everybody is mandated to report actual or suspected child abuse to the relevant authorities,” she said.

According to Vivour-Adeniyi, the utmost importance is the need for parents to be empowered with resources and contact details of relevant organisations to report to if there is an actual or suspected case of child abuse.

It would be recalled Governor Ambode on the 16th of December 2016, ratified the Executive Order on Safeguarding and Child Protection programme, making it mandatory for all child centred institutions to adopt a Child Protection Policy.