Gender institute, bankers call for more child-protection measures

THE Institute for Gender and Development Studies (IGDS) and the Bankers Association of Trinidad and Tobago (BATT) under the Break the Silence (BTS) End Child Sexual Abuse Project have called on service providers tasked with addressing the needs of children to increase the measures used to protect children.

The statement on August 16 comes three days after three boys who ran away from the Rainbow Rescue Home for Boys were returned to the care of the Children’s Authority.

IGDS and BATT called on service providers to address three issues: commit to ensuring their work environment is a safe space for children; to ensure all members of staff were aware of reporting protocols related to child sexual abuse; and for the government and the arms of the State entrusted with the security of the population to treat with cases of child sexual abuse and assault with the utmost vigilance.

The three boys disappeared sometime after 4 pm on August 3 from the home in Maraval and were reported missing to the St Clair Police Station around 8.50 pm on the same day.

Political activist Kezel Jackson said two of the three boys turned up at her office at the corner of Park and Abercromby Street, Port of Spain, on August 12, hungry and dressed in wet clothes, asking for help.

She claimed the boys told her they ran away because they did not like how they were treated by staff and other boys at the home.

Up to publication time on August 17, no official statement from the home had been released to the public.

Newsday tried to contact Rainbow Rescue on August 16 but calls went unanswered.

The joint statement by IGDS and BATT said there were several administrative and policy gaps that prevented such institutions from reaching their main objective.

“Their main mandate is to care for children who were victims of abuse, neglect and domestic violence.

“They are regarded as a (safe) haven.”

IGDS and BATT believe the institutions that have been given this responsibility are “overwhelmed.”

“There is a need for the co-ordinated enactment of clear safeguarding policies throughout these agencies to help all persons at all levels understand the requirements needed for the protection of children.

“The revision of the reporting process and the re-evaluation of the human resources needed to effectively oversee cases needs to occur to prevent child sexual abuse cases from continuously falling through the cracks.”

The statement said children who were victims of child sexual abuse at times relayed such behaviours to others.

“Consideration must be given to all contributory factors that would have led to the child engaging in inappropriate activities.

“Rehabilitation and reform must involve psychological support and monitoring of the perpetrator to prevent them from doing this again.”

They said victims of child sexual abuse must not feel as if they were being punished for reporting the abuse.

“Reporting CSA is already a difficult and courageous act for victims. We must recognise and respond accordingly to the differences in the experiences of abuse by young girls and young boys.”

While the IGDS and BATT have seen an increase in sensitivity and awareness of child sexual abuse, they said more could be done.

“We the (IGDS) call upon the Ministry of National Security and the police to use some of the $6.12 billion allocated in the budget to furnish police stations across the country with one-way mirrors.

“(In this way) survivors of assault in its many forms do not have to stand face to face with their alleged abusers.”

They also asked for “duty bearers” at the Office of the PM to return to the Jones Report, “to address the challenges related to children’s homes and child support centres.

“We would also like to see people who work in childcare centres be trained to address the impact of child sexual abuse on children.

“We must ensure they are not penalised for the actions of perpetrators. Programmes centred on healing and not re-victimising our children (is recommended).”

IGDS and BATT said the media also had a role to play in the issue.

“Sensitivity of language needs to form part of our reporting of incidents of child sexual abuse. The media must be mindful.”

The IGDS and BATT have begun a short course on Safe Spaces for Children in the context of child sexual abuse.

“This was done through the Break the Silence (BTS) Campaign which since its inception in 2008, continues to embark on building the capacity of all relevant agencies who are involved in child care and protection as it relates to child sexual abuse.”

The release concluded with the IGDS, through the BTS Campaign, staying committed to being a partner that continues to provide technical support and create capacity-building opportunities for all stakeholders involved in addressing child sexual abuse and other forms of gender-based violence and abuse.

“We believe that the creation and maintenance of safe spaces for children needs a multi-sectoral approach to enhance the capacity of these institutions to fully enact their role as a haven for children.”