By Claudia Gardner:
Negriliers came out to support the University of the West Indies’ Institute for Gender & Development Studies – Regional Coordinating Office’s ongoing campaign against gender-based violence and child abuse, on Thursday morning.
The initiative, dubbed No more silent cries! Thursday in Black campaign to end gender-based violence and child abuse, is a partnership between the UWI body, the Jamaica Council of Churches, Nurses Association of Jamaica and the Jamaica Psychological Association.
Rotarian and Negril Chamber of Commerce director, Elaine Allen Bradley told Negril Times that the Negril Green Island Area Local Planning Authority’s offices was the ideal venue for picketing, since the recommendation from the organizers, was that participants conduct their vigils in front of court houses or municipal buildings in groups of 10 or less.
“We are here standing peacefully against violence against women and children… we as Rotarians and part of the Negril community decided that we have to show our support, hence we being here,” she said.
Schoolteacher and Rotarian Ramon Bremmer, who was also out to show his support, said that he was particularly concerned about the effects of abuse on children’s emotional development.
“As teachers, we understand the psychological effect that abuse has on the children, and as such, the Rotary club of Negril stands in solidarity with the various groups to fight this,” Bremmer said.
“It is time for us as a community and Jamaica as a whole to take a strong stance against violence against children. This is impacting our society and our children are our future, so we have to ensure that we protect them at all cost,” he added.
Abuse of Children continues unfettered
Professor Opal Palmer Adisa, Director of the Institute for Gender and Development Studies, noted in an article in the Jamaica Observer on Thursday, that every day across Jamaica, children, regardless of class and ethnicity, are being abused emotionally, physically and sexually.
“We must learn and understand that children are not empty vessels and not our property to do with as we feel. We must not take out our anger and frustration on our children, she wrote.
“We must honour and respect our children, and we must not stand by and watch adults abuse children. Those of us who know better, must be the voice of children who are unable to speak for and defend themselves,” she added.
Dr. Adisa also lamented the fact that children’s physical appearance seem to be of greater priority to many parents than their psychological and emotional welfare of their children.
“Whenever I see children out, whether going to school, church or some function, they are always well-groomed. It is evident that a parent or guardian invested time and energy to achieve that appearance. However, it seems that parents do not take the same amount of pride in the psychological and emotional welfare of their children,” she wrote.
“While parents or guardians are intended to guide our children, we are not expected to dominate or terrorise them,” she added.
Beating is violence
The Biblical phrase, “spare the rod and spoil the child,” she said, is taken completely out of context by many parents, as “no matter how you slice it, beating is violence”.
“Although there should be no corporal punishment in schools, we know that children are being damaged irreparably by some teachers who humiliate them because they might not understand a certain lesson. Teachers are co-parents so it is vital that teachers are instructed in the psychology of children,” she argued.
Disturbing data on Child Abuse
In what could be deemed a clear indication that the island’s children are in a state of ongoing crisis, she also presented soma damming statistics as it relates to their state of being.
“The data says that 75 per cent of adults who are in jail were abused as children. Those who rape, mutilate and murder, were abused as children,” she said.
Describing the data presented a “inescapable facts”, she noted that 80 per cent of Jamaican children experience or witness violence in their homes and communities, and 60 per cent experience violence at school.
Of great concern also, is that more than 40 per cent of persons treated at public health facilities for attempted suicide are children between 14 and 16 years old.
In addition, the data show that adults who perpetrate violence against their intimate partners or children, either experienced and/or witnessed violence in their homes or communities when growing up.
Words of Advice for Adults
Dr. Adisa, however had some words of advice for adults, pointing out that if children are treated with integrity, and are shown love and compassion then Jamaica would be on a trajectory to creating “an open, honest and healthy society”.
“Let us act as if each child is our most precious treasure. Listen to our children. Speak softly and kindly,’ she urged.
“Do not be quick to judge or interpret their actions based on your own adult reasoning. Give them the benefit of doubt as you discipline, do it with love and compassion. Model kindness. Model forgiveness,” she wrote.
