We dare not let violence against children continue

Each year, we set aside a week to highlight the importance of child protection. At the start of Child Protection Week, launched on June 2, the government releases “shock” statistics of child abuse in the unlikely event that society does not realise the extent of the problem. This year proved no exception. The statistics are horrendous and support the contention that the state of violence against South African children should be declared a national disaster and accorded the appropriate resources and attention such a disaster deserves.

Last year in the run-up to this week we learnt that at least 41% of rape cases reported between 2015 and 2018 involved children. Some 2,600 children were murdered in the same period. We know that in 2017-2018 alone, 985 children were murdered in SA. This represented an increase of 117 children over the 868 murdered in the previous year. Child murder represents the most extreme and final form of child abuse.

So where do we go from here? This year we were again pummelled with statistics that demonstrated in numbers the snowball effect of child abuse on this and future generations.

University of Cape Townbased Children’s Institute says violence against children is interlinked and cumulative in nature. “Children who experience or witness violence are at increased risk of revictimisation or perpetration later in life … .” It says studies have shown government interventions to have systemic failings and there is a lack of political will to stop the growing tide of violence. Government has much of the resources and so we do expect it to up its game in the face of this national disaster. It needs to improve service delivery to children in terms of safety and security and a better rapid response to imminent dangers to them. It also needs to better support existing effective and efficient nongovernmental organisations such as Child Welfare which does government child-related protection work more efficiently and at one-fraction of the cost of government itself. Yet, like many NGOs, it is frequently starved of funds or funds are paid late.

But, it is not just up to government. Given the scale of violence against children our society needs to become steeped in a child rights culture. If we do not, generations of children will continue to pay the price. It is a price we cannot afford.

Children who experience or witness violence, are at increased risk of perpetration [of violence] later in life