CHILD?NEGLECT is on the rise in Barbados, adding to the headaches of the Child Care Board, which is carrying the fight against sexual and physical abuse of minors.
According to figures released by the board on the eve of Child Month in May, neglect cases in Barbados rose from 617 in 2009-2010 to 690 cases in 2010-2011 – the third largest amount for such cases in the last ten years, with previous hikes being 718 in 2003-2004 and 713 in 2002-2003.
“People tend to talk a lot about physical and sexual abuse but neglect has been our major concern. It is a major problem,” director of the Child Care Board, Joan Crawford, told the DAILY NATION yesterday.
She noted that the abuse figures were actually down, with sexual abuse cases dropping from 225 in 2009-2010 to 165 last year, physical abuse going from 268 to 224, emotional abuse from 137 to 106, and cases of abandonment falling from four to two.
Read the full story in today’s DAILY NATION.
