Child abuse in Ghana: Who is to be blamed and how to tackle it
There have been a lot of child abuse in the country including severe ones which has drawn the attention of UNICEF in the country. We do say there are regulatory bodies for these kinds of situations in the country, but what do we see?
The question still remains, what has UNICEF done since 2015 with their regulations?
According to the World Health Organization, child maltreatment is the abuse and neglect that occurs to children under the age of 18 years.
This means that individuals or persons below the age of 18 when maltreated can be termed as child abuse/maltreatment.
*What are the forms of Abuse?
- Maltreatment can be both;
- physical
- Emotional
Child Abuse is a global issue and Ghana is not an exception. About 30% of parents maltreats their wards without their knowledge of child Abuse.
Why would a parent maltreat his or her ward?
A study shows that about 30% of children maltreated by their parents are usually step daughters and sons.
Stepmothers in the homes of Ghanaian societies are known to be the most perpetrators of child maltreatment followed by fathers.
Another factor is the fact that some parents can become mentally drained out of their daily activities in society.
Parents used to taking substances can also maltreat their children when out of it.
What can be done
1. Educating both parents and children about their rights is important. Education is the backbone of any developing country and Ghana is no exception. Ghana as a developing country needs the education to help improve other sectors of the country. Educating both parents and children would serve as the catalyst to help them know more about their rights.
- Know the signs and report abuse. Most parents do not know when they maltreat their wards due to ignorance. Don’t be one of them. know when you abuse and put a stop.
- Discipline your children thoughtfully. Punishing children should be done consciously rather than in haste and in anger to prevent abuse.
Article by: Alhassan Zariatu
