Adaklu Waya (V/R), March 10, GNA- Mrs Susan Akortia, Adaklu District Director of Department of Social Welfare and Community Development has appealed to parents to be very observant of the characteristics of every developmental stage of their children.
She said this was because every developmental stage of a child had its unique characteristics.
Mrs. Akortia made the appeal at a one-day training programme, organised by the Department for 30 Child Protection Committee members drawn from some selected communities in the Adaklu district.
It was to equip them with adequate knowledge of the management, ethics and principles of child abuse cases.
The Director said some children as they develop did not know the difference between reality and fantasy and became naughty.
She said at a stage some would try to experiment with different identities to see which one would fit best, rebelling against the influence from parents, became naughty and shy.
Mrs. Akortia said whatever their behaviour, not all of them needed corporal punishment but counselling and some encouragement.
She said that the best role model for a child was the parent or caregiver and called on parents to lead a decent and exemplary lives for their wards to emulate.
She also called on them to allow children to participate in decision making, especially those that directly affected them.
Mrs Akortia said children were vulnerable and needed to be protected always not only by their parents but also by the larger community in which they found themselves adding that every individual had a role to play to protect children from harm.
She intimated that the moral and legal rights of children were most often abused by caregivers and those in authority.
Mrs. Akortia noted that “the abuse or harassment loads being silently carried by some children affects their total development.”
She warned those who handle child abuse cases in the house to desist from the act as they were flouting the law.
“No child abuse case like defilement should be handled in the house but reported to the law enforcement agencies,” she said.
Mrs Akortia appealed to the participants to be worthy child protection ambassadors in their communities.
GNA