Child Abuse in Trinidad and Tobago - Part 1 |
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| Author: Dr Gopaul-McNicol |
| Date: 2008-06-05 00:00:00 |
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The recent report that almost 40% of children are having sex during their young school age period both on the school compounds and at home shocked the nation in June of 2003. Even more shocking is the astronomical increase in reported cases of child molestation and incest. One in every four children in Trinidad and Tobago are reportedly abused sexually by the time they are age 16 and often times it is by a known person such as a relative. Akiel, Amy, Dane, Sean and now Hope tugged at our hearts and left a nation in mourning as we realized that the innocence of our children has been eroded by vile sexual predators in our midst.
While sexual abuse makes a great story for the media because it represents a definitive act of moral indignity, to many of us it is the most revolting form of child indifference and an indictment against the leaders of our society. To think that laws such as the Children Authority Act and the Child Protective Law have been sitting in Parliament for eight years and these recalcitrant politicians care not one iota about our innocent babies, speak volumes as to the social epidemic that we currently face. While we agree that our society is far more willing to address this issue today than it did ten years ago when Akiel was buggered and killed, there is still a lack of awareness and a government that refuses to accept the statistics about the large number of children who are sexually molested everyday. By denying the reality of the prevalence of sexual abuse of children, we also deny relief and treatment to the victims and even to the abusers. Denial, the most primitive of defense mechanisms, is a massive cover up in our society. As a result, much of sexual abuse remains locked deeply away in the minds and hearts of children and their parents, many of whom carry their secrets to the grave.
However the story of little Hope has brought to us all a social concern that now challenges every moral value and social belief system that we all uphold. It is now too glaring and obvious to ignore that we are living in a dysfunctional society that has grossly neglected its most vulnerable, our children.
Next week we will discuss how to detect and assess child sexual molestation and the following week how to treat and intervene.
Dr. Sharon-ann Gopaul-McNicol
Clinical Psychologist
s.gopaulmcnicol@coptnt.com
Go to Editorials to view Part 2 |
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