Virus, curfew traumatising millions of children

Millions of children living with their families and thousands in public and private care centres are bearing the brunt of the pain and suffering, physically and mentally, due to the lockdown meant to contain the spread of the coronavirus in the island.

There are also children who are infected with the virus.

The National Child Protection Authority said its child friendly hotline had received five calls a day related to child cruelty.

Of the 437 complaints in the first 36 days of the lockdown from March 16, 184 complaints (43%) were related to child cruelty.

Chairman, Prof. Muditha Vidanapathirana said that in a month, usually the authority receives an average of 830 complaints, of which 15% are child cruelty cases.

The complaints ranged from isolation due to the coronavirus, separation from family members, starvation, and depression leading to suicidal tendencies.

Sri Lanka's coronavirus patients exceeded 830 as of Saturday.

The NCPA said the number of children afflicted with the virus was around 10%.

In addition, another 10% are in isolation because they had come into contact with family members who are infected with the virus.

These children have been separated from their parents, guardians and are placed in isolation in line with coronavirus guidelines. They come into contact only with strangers, including the doctors and nurses who tend them.

Another group that has been badly affected is children in government and privately run children's homes.

Prof. Vidanapathirana said that about 11,132 children in child care institutions are bewildered and traumatised by the recent events that is depriving them of family visits and mingling with friends at the centres they call home.

Also 6 million children living in homes with parents and extended families are confused and do not understand why their daily routine has been upended. With no school, tuition, play and the usual things, they are simply bewildered.

Fear, loneliness, boredom, anxiety, anger, and worries of suddenly being snatched from family and kept in isolation and quarantine are some of the problems that trouble them.

This has led to some children become addicted to mobile video games and television. Many others are depressed.

Prof. Vidanapathirana said that there have been around three calls from children who had suffered extreme depression with suicidal tendencies.

To cater to the ever increasing cries for help from children in distress, the NCPA established a new programme — the Remote National Psychosocial Support Service — after the curfew was imposed. The system has few CDMA and 11 mobitel phones connected to the NCPA's child friendly hotline that had call hunting facilities.

Child protection officers hear their grievances, examine problems and give psychosocial support.

Under the ‘3L method’ the staff are encouraged to listen, look and link and give them necessary support, the NCPA said.

The NCPA has posted 331 child protection officers at divisional secretariats and 50 psychosocial officers at the 25 district secretariats. The officers at divisional secretariats visit the homes of callers and extend support.

Most incidents are related to displaced children caught up in the curfew suddenly imposed on March 20.

Some children who had gone to live with grandparents and relatives for the school holidays were were unable to return home. The extended curfew in the four districts of Colombo, Gampaha, Kalutara and Puttalam districts made the problem worse.

In one incident, two girls who had gone to spend their holidays with their grandparents in Kalutara had to be transported to Colombo. Another two children from Hambantota were brought to Colombo.

A 9-year-old whose parents are separated, had gone on a weekly visit to her father's home in Ratnapura and was brought back to her mother in Gampaha.

In another instance, in Kurunegala, two children living with their 80-yearold grandmother were starving without food for days, as their father, a labourer, had not been able to return home.

The NCPA visited them and gave them food and cash help after a call on the hotline.

“In a chaotic situation we have worked efficiently. This is our success story,’’ Prof. Vidanapathirana said.