Parents and Guardians Urged to Prioritise Children’s Safety

With schools closed for the summer, parents and guardians are being reminded to pay greater attention to their children’s safety.

This urging comes from General Pediatrician and President of the Pediatric Association of Jamaica (PAJ), Dr. Curtis Pryce, who tells JIS News that children are particularly vulnerable to abuse during this period and encourages well-thinking Jamaicans to report suspected cases.

“We find that there are less children reporting during the summer. It’s not that there are less cases. but less opportunity for [children to self-report]. What we find is, during the month of September, leading up to schools reopening, the number of reported cases rapidly escalates and that is really because children are at home. They are outside of school, and away from teachers – the mandatory reporters… they are the ones who tend to see these changes in the behaviour [and appearance]. It’s when they get back to school that the reports come in a little more fast and furious. So, we encourage parents to act as soon as they pick up on these things,” he emphasises.

Dr. Pryce encourages parents and guardians to pay attention to the signs of abuse exhibited by young victims.

These, he informs, can be physical, sexual, emotional, or neglect, pointing out that different types of abuse will present different symptoms across all ages.

“There are certain symptoms that the child may present with, and you may categorise them in terms of emotional symptoms or emotional changes, where the child may be more anxious than usual. They may be agitated, and they may be changing their behaviour, [or exhibit symptoms of depression],” Dr. Pryce says.

He points out that while very young children can also experience depression, this may present a little differently than it would in an older child.

Dr. Pryce says there are several behavioural indicators of abuse in children which may manifest.

These, he informs, include aggression towards other children and adults, excessive crying for no particular reason, seeking to avoid certain places or persons, exhibiting anxiety associated with certain events, changes of behaviour, bed-wetting, highly sexualised behaviour, and fear of a particular person.

Signs of sexual abuse include genital swelling, redness and/or bleeding to the area, pain when urinating or defecating, urinary tract infection (UTI), sexually transmitted infection (STI), or unusual discharge.

If the child displays these symptoms, they should be immediately taken to a medical facility to be tested and to determine if the youngster has been sexually abused.

“It is better to be safe than sorry and you know… so that the appropriate intervention can be executed easily,” Dr. Pryce says, pointing out that abuse can have long-term, negative effects on victims.

Symptoms include chronic depression, difficulty maintaining and sustaining relationships, poor school performance, and behavioural issues. Also, some victims of abuse may become perpetrators themselves.

“Child abuse is preventable. It is something that affects children negatively in the long term. And as we emphasise, the physical scars, they heal. But the long-term scars take children through life,” Dr. Pryce says.

He advises parents and guardians to establish regular, open channels of communication with children. This will enable the child to feel comfortable disclosing the details of their lives and catch any potential problems.

“Parents need to be alert. They need to know what their child is like. Parents have to be involved in their children’s lives,” the paediatrician urges.

Dr. Pryce also encourages parents and guardians to ask the child questions about what happened to them throughout the day, whether at school, or with relatives or friends.

This will help them to ascertain what is happening with the child.

“Just talk to them. Spend some time with them. When you get involved in that sort of activity and that sort of relationship with the children, when something happens, they are going to tell you,” he explains.

“Let them get comfortable with talking about their body parts. Teach them the correct terms for their body parts,” he adds.

Dr. Pryce says guardians should be aware that anyone may be a perpetrator, including family members, close friends.

So they are advised to be on alert for any unusual behaviour of the child when interacting with persons.

He also advises that parents check in with children regularly when they are out of their presence.

Importantly, Dr. Pryce says it is imperative for parents to teach children what is an inappropriate touch.

He notes, also, that children should report if someone has touched them inappropriately or exposed themselves to them, regardless of who the person is.

“[We have seen] where children really don’t report what is happening or what has happened to them. Sometimes, not until many years after is when the parent is learning that something has happened,” the PAJ President says.

He encourages persons to report suspected abuse cases to the Child Protection and Family Services Agency (CPFSA) child abuse helpline – 211.

“Listen to your children, not just what they’re saying verbally. Watch and observe their behaviour and intervene in an appropriate way, so that we can keep our children safe and protected. You are your brother’s keeper. If you suspect something, report it,” Dr. Pryce underscores.