Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the African Movement for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect (AMPCAN), Mr George Baiden has urged Ghanaians, especially victims of child abuse and neglect, not to hide or negotiate with perpetrators but report them.
He said that would ensure that all perpetrators are flushed out from the system to serve as a deterrent to all potential perpetrators.
In his area of operation, he said there are at least 500 reported cases weekly on child abuse, rape and neglect, and there is the need for a concerted effort to stop the phenomenon.
He was speaking to The Finder in Accra during a programme to teach school children about their rights and their responsibility to report when something frightening happens to them.
“Child abuse is a complicated issue that requires the response of many different stakeholders, and one important way to prevent child sexual abuse is to teach children about their right,” he indicated.
Mr Baiden explained that the prevention of child abuse and neglect requires adults to know how to protect their children and listen if their children come to them with a problem, that is to listen with compassion and patience rather than anger and disgust.
Child abuse, he said, is never the fault of the child as some people claim, but it is the adult who manipulates the child.
Touching on some of his success stories, he said his advocacy team has ensured that neglected children went back to school and pending rape cases in court were heard, with justices provided.
Members of the Department of Children, NGOs and teachers were present, and explaining their contribution to the programme, Mr Baiden stated, “Teachers need information, so do pupils, and they need one another whereas NGOs provide information on regular basis, making sure teachers get informed on such issues.”
The programme was to commemorate the World Day for the Prevention of Child Abuse, which was launched in 2000.
Oppong Kyekyeku, a musician, staged a special dance drama to teach the children and the event patrons about child abuse.
The drama used songs through story-telling to teach the touching rule that “it is never all right for someone to touch your private body parts except to keep you clean and healthy”.
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