You don't need us to tell you that child abuse is on the rise in Belize because we do it almost every night. Increasingly we have reported cases of incest, molestation, and even the selling of a child as a sex slave. So what to do if you are a parent? Well the National Committee for Families and Children has answers for you in a new book. It's called "A parent's guide to the child protection system." In 42 pages it is just that, a guide for parents on abuse, signs of abuse, and how to prevent abuse. Programme Coordinator at NCFC Starla Acosta edited the book and she says it is a must read for every parent.
Starla Acosta, Programme Director - NCFC
"It's a rights based user friendly guide through the entire child protection system and it starts out by talking about what is child abuse and neglect and what are some of the signs and symptoms that parents can look for if they suspect that there child is being abused. It also highlights some prevention tips and that's in the first section of the booklet.
The book goes on to highlight the fact that we should talk to our children and from a very early age talk to our children about good touch and bad touch and the fact that child abuse in any form is not the child's fault. The second part of the booklet talks about the child protection system itself and all the agencies that make up this system. It gives the reader a good overview of what the process would be once a case is reported and it also gives the parent resources as to what other agencies and services are available and the importance of making a report and getting the help she or he needs in order to deal with and recover from abuse.
It's a guide for parents but it can be read by anybody. It's really a public information tool. A lot of times we find that persons are afraid to make reports because they are afraid of the situation, the situation of abuse is always scary to deal with, and they might fear the system that they have to come in contact with in order to make a report so it's for the general public."
The book was published with funding from UNICEF. You can pick up your copy at the NCFC Office on Cleghorn Street.
