Footage evokes anger
DISTRESSING footage on social media of a child being beaten by a parent — with no aid from onlookers to stop the abuse — understandably evoked anger and condemnation across the nation.
But the frustrated and vengeful comments hide a decades-old issue the nation grapples with and chooses to sweep under the carpet for reasons best known to individuals.
Last year, a 112-page scoping report on violence against children in Fiji was released, and unveiled startling figures that should come as no surprise.
The study, conducted between 2017 and 2019, found that 81 per cent of child abuse cases recorded and detected during the period of study were caused by male perpetrators aged between 11 and 40.
Additionally, Naitasiri was identified as the hotspot for child abuse and child violence in Fiji, recording 15.1 per cent of all cases pertaining to child abuse and child violence.
Suva was second with 14.6 per cent, Labasa stood at 10.5 per cent, Vuda had 7.4 per cent and Ba with 5.6 per cent of cases.
In addition, 72 per cent of child abuse and child violence perpetrators in Fiji are Christians, the report found.
The case of physical punishment
The report noted that physical punishment of children was also heavily endorsed by the mantra “spare the rod and spoil the child”, and embraced a range of disciplinary actions by parents, teachers and others that included corporal punishment, slapping, smacking, hitting children with objects.
The report stated this dated back hundreds of years and remained the experience of many contemporary parents.
As a result, not only is child abuse condoned, but also severely underreported in communities, a fact which the Fiji Council of Social Services (FCOSS) has found through its district councils of social services (DCOSS).
FCOSS executive director Vani Catanasiga told this newspaper they received cases of abuse, many of which were reported to FCOSS via the DCOSS daily community observation reports or during gatherings of members.
“Cases shared are of diverse nature, including misconduct and mishandling of possible abuse cases by authorities,” she said.
As of last week, Ms Catanasiga said during a gathering of some of their members, stories that came up also involved escalating social problems linked to abuse.
“Participants shared anecdotes of children being exploited by their parents to transport drugs, leading to a cycle where offsprings replicate their parents’ actions.
“There were some stories shared by participants where drugs were cooked at home and both the parents have used their children to be the carrier of these products in the streets.
“Unsupervised youths often succumb to peer pressure, engaging in activities mirroring those of their peers due to lack of parental supervision.”
In addition, Ms Catanasiga said there was limited access to governmental and law enforcement resources.
She said residents in remote areas faced challenges in accessing government and police services, relying instead on traditional village leadership for dispute resolution.
“Issues such as trafficking and domestic violence may remain unresolved within communities due to traditional governance structures. Formal referral mechanisms are not known in these areas.
“In a rural setting or villages, the cases are usually taken up to the turaganikoro (village headman).
“Sometimes, reports that are submitted by members of the communities are usually kept confidential by those in positions of power, especially the turaganikoro and the turaga niyavusa (chiefs).”
Ms Catanasiga said major issues like trafficking in person and domestic violence were resolved within the community and not taken up to the police. The reluctance to report was also tied to mistrust of the police and other authorities.
“Some iTaukei communities prioritise reputation over addressing critical issues, leading to underreporting of incidents like underaged elopement to avoid perceived shame.”
Ms Catanasiga said communities needed to be able to access therapy and counselling, especially for cases involving anger management.
She said support mechanisms were not as prevalent in schools, and underreporting of such incidents would lead to children suffering from high levels of trauma and facing an unending cycle of familial violence.
According to Ms Catanasiga, community leaders must be prioritised in a national social change campaign to eradicate all types of violence, ranging from structural to physical violence.
Psychological impacts of violence
Empower Pacific is a notable NGO that works in the realm of counselling and social work.
The organisation receives between two and five child abuse cases each week. That means anywhere between 104 to 260 cases in a year. And these are the reported ones.
CEO Patrick Morgam said they attend to child abuse cases which were referred from established partners, including the Ministry of Women, Children and Social Protection, Ministry of Health, Legal Aid Commission, CSO stakeholders and walk-ins from the public.
“In relation to child abuse cases, Empower Pacific through the referral pathways with partners mentioned above and walk-ins coupled with the 24/7 toll free counselling helpline, receive more than two to five cases of child abuse in a week,” he said.
“These abuse cases require mental health and psychosocial support.
“There are cases where the child has been subjected to verbal and emotional abuse. However, children have also been referred to Empower Pacific for counselling due to being physically and sexually abused mostly by individuals known to them.”
Mr Morgam also clarified any type of abuse would have a drastic effect on a young child.
“Children who are subjected to any or all forms of violence and abuse are substantially more likely to resort to harmful coping mechanisms such as smoking, misusing alcohol and drugs and some of them also engage in high-risk sexual behaviour.
“They also have high rates of anxiety, depression, and other mental health problems. In extreme circumstances, and without the proper support mechanisms in place, some children can also resort to self-harm behaviour and even attempt suicide.”
According to Mr Morgam, children exposed to abuse faced both short and long-term impacts on their health.
“In the short term, these children that are prone to abuse and suffer in silence may experience depression, anxiety, altered sleep cycles, regressive behaviour, and low self-esteem.
“Long term impacts may include certain regions in the brain failing to develop or function properly, causing issues in learning, memory, motor skills, emotion regulation and other problems, diminished executive and cognitive skills.”
This, he said, could also lead to poor mental and emotional health, difficulties in forming and maintaining relationships, post-traumatic stress disorder, juvenile delinquency and resorting to substance abuse.
“Services are available in schools through the designated Child Protection Officers under the Ministry of Education.
“They are equipped and trained on how to handle such situations inclusive of established child protection referral pathways and mandatory reporting requirements.”
When asked if adults themselves who perpetuate such abuse sought counselling or therapy, he said this was only so if the perpetrator was remorseful and wanted to change.
“Then, they push themselves to seek counselling or therapy to better themselves.
“However, in most cases, perpetrators are usually motivated by their family or ordered by the court to access counselling support as part of rehabilitation.”
If you, or someone you know, is facing abuse, you can reach out for help.
Mr Morgam said Empower Pacific has offices in the Central, Western and Northern divisions, as well as designated staff at CWM Hospital, Labasa Hospital and sub-divisional hospitals in Tavua, Nadi, Nausori and Sigatoka.
You can also call the 24/7 toll free counselling helpline on 5626, available from both Vodafone and Digicel platforms, to speak to trained counsellors and social workers.