CDA Embarks On Parenting Seminars

As part of the Ministry of Youth and Culture’s focus on child protection, the Child Development Agency (CDA) has embarked on a series of parenting seminars to educate parents and guardians about the issues surrounding child development and sexuality.

The seminars are being held under the theme, ‘Positive Parenting for the Nation’s Sake’, and the expectation is that the seminars will assist parents and guardians to protect the children from becoming involved in high risk behaviour.

The second in the series of seminars was held today (June 17), at the Alpha Institute on South Camp Road, in Kingston.

Regional Director for the CDA, Robert Williams, said the seminars aim to educate parents and equip them with valuable parenting skills to help guide the children from engaging in sexual activities.

“These days we realize that the children face some serious issues and you have to (help them) work through them. There are all kinds of sexual behaviour going on with our children and we have to guide them through this, but we can’t do it with beating and aggression. We have to understand the issues well in order to deal with them,” he explained.

Mr. Williams said that many of the challenges that children face are the result of early exposure to sexual activity.

In an interview with JIS News, he pointed out that some children begin engaging in sexual activity from as young as age 13.

“That age range is primarily where (we) see that children have started to engage in sexual activity. It is a problem and it is something that we need to deal with,” he emphasised.

Mr. Williams said that this early exposure can lead to many social problems, noting that it can be circulated on social media.

“Because it is out there, the children have to be transferred from their schools… and some of them end up coming into care, because they have to leave their communities as it is something shameful and some persons will use this against the children,” he said.

Mr. Williams pointed out that many parents do not know how to talk to their children about sexuality.

“When it comes to sexuality, some of them are nervous, some of them don’t have the information to deal with it adequately, and some of them just don’t want to face the fact that the child is having sex,” he said.

The Centre for the Investigation of Sexual Offences and Child Abuse (CISOCA) will be assisting to coordinate the seminars, which end on June 30. First Heritage Co-Operative Credit Union (FHC) is sponsoring the series.