Presentation by Samuel Kimbowa
MHPSS /CAMHS August 2018
Child abuse and neglect
Consists of anything:
Individuals, institutions or processes
Do or fail to do which
Directly harms children or
Damages their prospects of safe and healthy
development into adulthood
Definition
An act of COMMISSION or OMISSION which
threatens a child’s well being
Determined by what is considered socially acceptable
within society at a given time
Lies within a continuum of child rearing practices varying
within and across cultures
Despite cultural differences there is consensus on core
nurture required by children
UN Convention on the Rights of the
Child 1989
Child’s right to grow up in environment where their needs
are met and safety ensured
Family has primary responsibility for nurturing and
protecting children
Children should grow up in in an atmosphere of
happiness, love and understanding
(Adopted by all UN states except USA, Somalia)
Challenges
Rights of parent vs. rights of child?
Reasonable parenting?
What is family? Street children.
Community, residential care and education
Significant harm?
The Child and His Relationships
Extended family
Nursery/school
Neighbours child
Peers
family
Carers Teachers
Child abuse and neglect are forms of
child maltreatment
How likely is that the child has experienced :
Physical abuse
Sexual abuse
Emotional abuse
Neglect
Domestic violence/traumatic events
Combination
Time scale (when, duration, how often?)
Severity
By whom and in whose care
(failure to protect)
Acts of Commission
not necessarily by main carer
Physical abuse - non-accidental injury resulting in
death, injury, permanent physical harm, and/or
psychological harm, (includes physical restraint)
Sexual abuse- sexual exploitation of a child for the
gratification of an adult including vaginal or anal rape or
intercourse, touching, flashing , pornography
Some emotional abuse e.g. terrorising, threatening,
humiliating, criminalising, exploiting
Omission usually by main carer
Neglect
Failure to protect, failure to care or to meet needs (physical
or emotional) of a child
Despite economic resources
Complex diagnosis involving the evaluation of a combination
of factors, insidious in nature or seemingly insignificant on
their own.
Emotional abuse
Severe adverse effects on behaviour and emotional
development of a child caused by persistent or severe
emotional ill-treatment or rejection, includes exposure to
domestic violence
Sexual Physical Emotional
abuse abuse abuse
/neglect
Abuse/ Hidden Hidden or Observable
interaction observed
Identity of Usually Sometimes Known
abuser questioned known
Abuser & Varies Usually same Usually
primary carer person same
person
Evidence Ill treatment Ill treatment Impairment
required: Injury + ill-
treatment.
Immediate Yes Usually No
protection?
Effects of abuse and neglect on the
Child
Physical:
DEATH OR INJURY (can be due to neglect e.g.
starvation, poor supervision)
DEVELOPMENT
EMOTIONS
BEHAVIOUR
RELATIONSHIPS
Child abuse in Uganda
98% of children experienced corporal punishment,
60% at school ( also report sexual harassment at
school)
(UK 14% experience severe physical punishment, 9 0%
hit at some time mainly by mothers, illegal in schools)
20% forced to have sex
(UK 12% females and 8% males sexually abused)
many reports of early/forced marriage
Statistics from Uganda
Most children in Uganda have experienced physical
violence that threatens and halts their holistic and
positive development
59 per cent of girls and 68 per cent of boys
Gender-based violence and sexual violence are also
pervasive, with some 35 per cent of girls and 17 per
cent of boys having experienced sexual violence
during childhood.
Girls are especially at risk of child marriage, teenage
pregnancy, and female genital mutilation.
1 in 4 teenage girls are either pregnant or have a child.
Covid-19 and child protection statistics
UCHL received 100 cases of VAC per day before
covid-19 and 1369 per day during covid-19 (13%
increase)
The reported cases were neglect, physical abuse,
sexual abuse and some cases of murder.
52.6% of all the violence cases reported were
concerning child neglect, with girls being the most
affected.
significant increase in the cases of physical abuse of
children at home during the COVID-19 lockdown
Covid-19 and child protection statistics
The UCHL March 2020 report revealed that sexual
abuse was the third most reported form of child abuse
contributing 20.1% of all the cases (98% of the victims
being girls and 17% of the perpetrators being family
members, including fathers, cousins and uncles).
Save the Children's recent report, indicated 60% of
the respondents observed an increase in sexual
violence against children since the lockdown started
Post lockdown, 59 and 58 cases of defilement (sexual
abuse of a child) were reported in Mayuge and Jinja
districts, respectively, located in Eastern Uganda
Other challenges faced by children
Limited access to basic needs due to neglect by
caregivers
Closure of schools
Parental stress due to unemployment during covid-19
Increased child labour
Increased levels of alcohol and drug abuse by caregivers.
Delayed detection of reporting of cases of child abuse
Child related offenses (Uganda
police 2020 report)
Procedures and legislation
Childrens Act CAP59
National Interagency Standing Committee
Child Protection Sub cluster (6 officials)
Issue tools, guidelines, training programmes
District Departments of Community Services
Responsible for child protection, data collection ,
strengthening services, under District Probation and
Social welfare officers
CP system at sub county level
Minimum 1 community development officer, 1 NGO
lead agency with operational CP structure/Committee
