BARBADOS has come a long way in protecting its children over the past 50 years. There have been improvements in health care, nursery education, legislative support and greater charitable outreach. This country has done a remarkable job in making life better for its children. Yet, as a nation, there is much more to be done in defending our children, the most vulnerable in society.
As Barbados observes Child Month in May, this is the ideal time for national introspection – not for mere grand speeches, but as an opportunity to look at where we have failed our children and how best to correct those missteps.
We have heard some awful stories of neglect and abuse of children around the world and we shake our heads in shock and disbelief. The disgusting situation in Paraguay, where a ten-year-old girl was impregnated by her stepfather; the brutal murders of innocent children in Jamaica; and the alarming and puzzling rise in suicides among black children in United States.
Yet many in this island believe Barbados is immune from these types of situations. The stark reality is that we are not shielded from anything; they have all happened here. Still, the experts have indicated that of the various types of child abuse cases reported – from sexual to physical, to neglect and bullying, amongst others – there are an unknown number of offenders who escape punishment. This indicates that many children grow up bruised and scarred.
Over the years we have paid special attention to the sexual abuse and exploitation of our children, and rightly so. But there is now recognition that other forms of abuse are equally devastating and traumatic on the victims. These must be investigated and highlighted, the perpetrators dealt with and the victims helped. In many instances, the abusers are those closest to the abused and often see their actions as well intentioned.
The issue of corporal punishment in Barbados has long been a contentious one. Many people see it as a God-given right and indeed a failure of good parenting skills not to apply the rod. The enlightened view is that it is nothing more than a carry-over from the days of slavery. The evidence has shown it achieves little, other than to cause pain and disgrace to its victims. But this form of physical abuse will not disappear overnight in Barbados.
Parenting is a most difficult job. To raise a healthy, well adjusted and happy child requires education, family support and financial resources. But parenting skills are not inherited. They are learnt by example, and some parents unfortunately do not have the correct examples.
