‘Break the culture of silence on child abuse to save lives’

Mandatory reporting of suspected cases by doctors and teachers can prevent long-term suffering and suicide bids, experts tell Dubai conference

Breaking the Arab world’s culture of silence about child abuse will save lives, experts told a Dubai conference yesterday.

Early intervention and mandatory reporting by teachers and doctors of suspected cases will also ensure protection for abused children.

These were among recommendations on the final day of the 5th Arab regional conference on prevention of child abuse and neglect.

Aid workers, academics and doctors from across the region called for the stigma of child abuse to be confronted.

Early intervention, such as removing children from harm at the initial stages, would save them from suicidal tendencies, mental scars and long-term physical injuries later.

“We should look for the cases of maltreatment, we should be the one to screen and find them in society,” said Majid Al Eissa, president of the Arab Society for Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect.

“We should not wait for episodes of maltreatment, and then the children come in injured or dead. We should intervene early.”

Failing to address violence could have a negative impact on education, relationships and job prospects, he said.

“An abused child could die, suffer from disabilities, mental disturbance – these are immediate dangers, but later they can have anxiety, depression and may commit suicide,” said Mr Al Eissa, who is also associate professor of paediatrics at the King Saud University for Health Sciences.

“They have double the risk of diabetes, hypertension, obesity than an average person. Studies prove this so we must protect the child early.

“Our goal is early intervention, so if professionals notice a child in school has a bruise or bite injury, they must do their job, talk to the child and report the case. We are trying to force them, to make them liable to report it.”

Worthy initiatives in the region include safe play areas in Lebanon, a No Hit Zone campaign to promote better parenting in Saudi Arabia, child protection talks in camps in Iraqi Kurdistan and UAE shelters that teach secretarial, computer and beauty skills to victims.

Lama Yazbeck, executive director of Lebanese non-government organisation Himaya, said a high number of cases were detected in prevention programmes.

Himaya dealt with 1,742 cases of child abuse last year with neglect the main cause, followed by psychological, physical and sexual abuse.

“In Lebanon, to talk about what happens in the family is taboo and our message always is ‘Don’t keep a secret’,” Ms Yazbeck said.

“We need referrals from hospitals, to build partnerships and change society’s perspective.”

Afra Al Basti, director general of the Dubai Foundation for Women and Children, said that while some countries must start by framing legislation, other nations needed enforcement and data collection, but protecting children should be a priority particularly in conflict areas.

Every year, there are an estimated 41,000 homicide deaths of children under 15 years of age, the World Health Organisation says.