Yes, child abuse still occurs. I have highlighted 7 myths about child abuse below.
Feel free to share your thoughts and opinions I’m the comment section.
Do not forget to share, let’s create this awareness together.
Human rights are moral principles or norm that describes certain standards conducts of human behaviour which people from around the world have agreed are essential.
1) Human rights are the total sum of civil, political, individual and collective rights in every states and countries of the world enshrined in their legslations and laws.
2) Human rights covers every aspect of a persons life.
3) Human Rights are inalienable, in other words, no person can be divested of his right. This is although subject to legal circumstances like where the person has committed an offence.
4) All of the Human rights are interwoven, indivisible and interrelated. One cannot be breached without affecting the other.
5) The Universal Declaration of Human Rights provides thirty (30) articles of Human rights.
6) Human Rights are universal as they apply to all people indiscriminately.
7) Human Rights serves as a check of abuse of power over the vulnerable.
8) According to an article titled “Human Rights Facts & Figures”, it was observed that women have been denied the knowledge,and freedom to act in the best interest of themselves and their children.
9) In “Abuses, Statistics, Child Abuse, Gang Violence & Child Soldiers”it was stated that worldwide there are about 246million child laborers.
10) The 10th of December is a set date for the celebration of human rights.
11) From the UN Declaration on Human rights, everyone is entitled holiday with a pay.
12) In Kazakhstan, Domestic violence is not an offence.While in Russia, there is no legal definition of domestic violence.
13) In 2018,the UN Human rights,WHO and UN women declared ” virginity testing” as violation of Human rights.
14)The Universal Declaration of Human Rights has been translated into nearly 400 languages, making it the most translated document in the world.
15) In 2011, access to the internet is declared a basic human right.
This is no longer only a global health crisis, it is also an economic crisis that is having a huge impact on people.[1]
The Corona Virus Disease (COVID-19) is prevalent in more than 193 countries of the world today prompting the World Health Organization to upgrade the status of Covid-19 from an epidemic to a global pandemic on March 11, 2020.[2]. Nigeria, the most populous black nation became the first African country to record a positive case of the virus from an Italian immigrant on February 25, 2020.[3] The negative impacts of the pandemic are better left to the realm of imagination than the province of reality.
The world is clearly set to experience its worst depression only after The Great Depression of the 1930s.[4] Again, the international labour Organization estimates that over 25 million jobs and 3.4 trillion dollars will be lost in labour income world-wide while 100 million more people may be forced into extreme poverty.[5] This portends graver implications for a nation like Nigeria, which prior to the pandemic, was already the world’s poverty capital with a poverty rate of 33 percent.[6]
The begging question remains, what is the impact of the foregoing on childs right? It does not take rocket science to realize that the childs rights to life, survival and development which are guaranteed by Article 6 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child are significantly under threat. In this connection, Article 6 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child states, State parties recognize that every child has the inherent right to life. State parties shall ensure to the maximum extent possible, the survival and development of the child. With glaring poverty levels however, it becomes practically impossible to attain adequate nutrition, right to a healthy and safe environment, security and adequate standard of living which are sine qua non to achieving the right to life.
Again other rights like the childs right to play, leisure and freedom of association has been affected as it has become practically impossible to keep in touch with friends and outside spaces for play are practically unavailable. There are however more serious implications than the foregoing. It is noteworthy that child trafficking, sexual exploitation and child labour are evils resulting from poverty, which has been brought about by this pandemic. In fact, the huge poverty occasioned by the pandemic is expected to increase child labour by 0.7 percent globally – an estimate that radically alters the prospects of reducing child labour for the first time in 20 years.[7]
Furthermore, another implication of the poverty occasioned by this pandemic is increase in child marriage; a.phenomenon that refers to giving out children below 18 years of age to adults as spouses. Already, 43 % of girls in Nigeria are married before their 18th year old birthday, crowning Nigeria as the 11th state where child marriage is highly operative.[8] The pandemic may however worsen this statistics because child marriages will be the most viable alternative for families on the fringes of survival. It becomes a typical example of “take my child while you give me food.” This position is corroborated by the United Nations Population Fund which has in fact estimated that an additional 13 million child marriages may take place over the next 10 years.[9]
Lastly, the childs right against violence has been compromised by the pandemic. The huge poverty emanating from the pandemic can serve a triggering factor for frustration of adults and consequently, the infliction of violence on children. Sadly, incidents of violence and child abuse are less likely to be detected because of lockdown measures. The implication is that the infliction of violence will most likely be carried out covertly.
This situation is worsened in view of the fact that child protection agencies have reduced monitoring in order to avoid the spread of the virus and the ability of child protection institutions to respond adequately has been weakened. Already, more than 1 billion children are exposed to violence yearly.[10] With the pandemic however, this figure will be magnified and significantly increased. This is no doubt a threat to the actualization of Article 37 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child which states that: State parties shall ensure that: (a) No child shall be subjected to torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.
In conclusion, in view of the grave havocs that COVID-19 and its concomitant poverty could wreck on child’s rights, it is imperative for governments to respond with positive laws and policies to ameliorate the looming economic dangers. The United States of America provides a ready example in this regard. She enacted her CARES (CoronaVirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security) Act under which 2.3 trillion dollars, amounting to 11 percent of the United States Gross Domestic Product was dedicated to providing one-time tax rebates to individuals, expanding unemployment benefits and providing food safety nets for the most vulnerable citizens as well as loans for small businesses. Also, under her Pay Check Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act, over 483 billion dollars was ear marked to assisting small businesses in the United States of America.[11] Developing countries like Nigeria could follow suit. This will significantly reduce poverty, whose effect is to threaten the rights of children.
[1] http://www.ilo.org/global/about-the-ilo/newsroom/news/WCMS_738742/lang–en/index.htm
[2] news.un.org/en/story/2020/03/1059261
[3] www.icirnigeria.org/report-nigerian-inmates-live-in-danger-amid-coronavirus-pandemic/amp
[4] http://www.cnbc.com/amp/2020/04/14/imf-global-economy-to-contract-by-3 percent-due-to-coronavirus.html
[5] http://www.ilo.org/global/about-the-ilo/newsroom/news/WCMS_738742/lang–en/index.htm
[6] tradingeconomics.com
[7] Najat Maalla Mjid, Hidden scars: the Impact of Violence and the COVID-19 Pandemic on Childrens Mental Health (2020) Journal of Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health https://campmh.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13024-020-00340-8
[8] http://www.girlsnotbrides.org/child-marriage/nigeria/
[9] United Nations Population Fund, “Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Family Planning and Ending Gender-Based Violence and Child Marriage, UNFPA 2020.
[10] https://reliefweb.int/report/world/covid-19-and-children-s-rights
[11] http://www.imf.org/en/Topics/imf-and-covid19/Policy-Responses-to-COVID-19#U
Did somebody just ask if domestic violence still exists? Yes, it is trending in our society today and very disheartening that despite several laws, committees, unions and activism against domestic violence, it still occurs.
The intention of this post is to bring to the society more awareness of domestic violence. Therefore, 6 myths about domestic violence have been compiled by me. Domestic violence is not limited to these myths but it is a start.
Women are not animals. Women deserve the best as same as the opposite sex and they must not be treated like trash. In recent times, feminists have campaigned against gender inequality. Also, international organizations such as the United Nations have declared the equality of all human beings. Article 1 of the UDHR, (Universal Declaration of Human Rights), states that “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood”
Regardless of what a woman’s offense might be, no man has the right to take laws into their hands and discipline her except in self defense.
Domestic violence happens around the world in underdeveloped, developing and developed countries. Regardless of people’s age, gender, race or religion, they can still be abusers. There are many rich people that are abusers and also abused. Therefore, we shouldn’t assume domestic violence affects only the poor. The rich woman next to you might be a victim of domestic violence.
Domestic violence shouldn’t be a family secret. It is a criminal act, asides the legal aspect, it can lead to health problems including death of any party. Abuse of any form should not be tolerated. We must learn to seek help when abused as soon as we can. Although, some victims are to afraid to speak up and some cannot even tell they are victims. We as family and friends should try our best to help those we think might be abused.
Some victims are afraid to leave abusive relationships because of the stigma it brings. We should try and understand the reasons why our loved ones are staying and try to help. For example, some victims stay back because of financial issues, we can offer financial assistance if possible. Some victims may also be offering from Stockholm syndrome, while others might not want kids to be in broken homes. There are a number of reasons victims choose to stay in toxic relationship. We have to try and help when we can, to the best of our abilities.
Responding to violence with violence should only be for self-defense. Some persons believe in the law of retaliation which says “an eye for an eye…a tooth for a tooth”. It is also a biblical term that can be found in scripture, Exodus 21: 23-25 states, “But if there is harm, then you shall pay life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.” Leviticus 24: 19-21 affirms to this, “Anyone who injures their neighbor is to be injured in the same manner: fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth. The one who has inflicted the injury must suffer the same injury.”
However, Jesus condemned the use of retaliation and says that if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn the other cheek for them.
Religion should not be the excuse for domestic violence.
Both men and women can be victims of domestic violence. One study found that 40% of domestic violence victims are men.
In our society today, most men are ashamed to be seen as victims of domestic violence. They have the weight of being a “man” among their peers that they are too ashamed to come out as a victim. I advise men to also seek help when they can.
In summary, domestic abuse still occurs, there is no excuse for it.
Kindly drop down your opinion or advice about domestic violence, we never know who we are saving.
Thanks for stopping by and don’t forget to share.
References
A VOICE TO BE HEARD 