Divorced Emirati parents top in child abuse

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Divorced Emirati parents top in child abuse

Dubai - Child Protection Centre reveals figures of reported child abuses from 2014 until end of April 2016; negligence major form of abuse in the complaints received by the centre

By Sherouk Zakaria

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Published: Sun 26 Jun 2016, 5:54 PM

More than half of the reported abuse cases at Child Protection Centre were of Emirati children, officials said, attributing it to high divorce rate among Emiratis.
Khaled Al Kamda, Director-General of Community Development Authority (CDA), said that divorce rates among the Emirati families outnumber that of other families in the UAE.

Drop in sexual abuse cases 
Reports related to sexual abuse has decreased from 19.5 per cent of total cases in 2014 to 12.5 per cent in 2015 in the country.
Khaled Al Kamda, Director-General of Community Development Authority (CDA), said that this can be attributed to the awareness campaigns targeted at children at schools and sports clubs.
Bushra Qayed, Head of Child Protection, CDA, said that most sexual abuse cases came from outside the family, most commonly from nannies or teenagers' friends.
The age group mostly abused were children between 7-9 years old, who made about 26.6 per cent of total cases reported within the first four months of 2016, compared to 29 per cent of total cases in 2015 and 26.2 per cent in 2014.
The CDA shared figures of prevalent forms of abuse reported at the centre from 2014 until end of April 2016, in line with Child Protection Law that came into effect on June 15.
Children of divorced parents topped the figures with 45 per cent in 2014, 48.3 per cent in 2015 and about 36.7 per cent within the first four months of 2016.
"Divorced parents try to harm each other through their children who are caught in between these complications," said Al Kamda.
Violations, that were reported from the parents themselves, included denying children from going to school or refusing to issue their legal documents.
Negligence was ranked the top form of abuse received by the centre. It formed about 36.6 per cent of total cases in 2014, and remained more than other cases in 2015 by 26.7 per cent.
"There are many ways to identify negligence like having a child in the front seat or on the lap of a driver, or leaving a child at home unattended and restricting them from going to school which is their right," said Al Kamda.
He added that while the term negligence is now clearly defined by the law, the Ministry of Social Development is expected to establish a detailed framework within the coming months that resolves ambiguities and specific the role of authorities involved.
Al Kamda said he hopes the new awareness programmes carried out by the centre would lead to the increase of reporting levels.
"While we want to see the reports come to light, we want to see the number of violations eventually going down the drain," he added.
UAE's Child Protection Law
The Federal Law No 3 of 2016, formerly named Wudeema Law, was drafted in the memory of Wudeema, an eight-year-old Emirati girl who was starved and tortured to death in Dubai by her father and his girlfriend in 2012.
It states that reporting cases of child abuse or negligence is mandatory for all members of the community with the goal of transforming families and society.
The law ensures that every child in the UAE, whether a resident or tourist, has the right to live and be safe, educated, and protected from all forms of abuse, whether physical, sexual, verbal, emotional or psychological.
According to him, the new law will encourage reporting potential child abuse by maintaining privacy of complainers and providing them with legal shield.
According to figures presented, the Child Protection Centre's hotline received more than 130 calls since it launched in 2014 until April 2016.
Bushra Qayed, Head of Child Protection, CDA, said majority of calls were from parents, schools and even children themselves.
The number of calls received from children increased from one child in 2014 to 10 children in 2015.
"It indicates that we are on the right track of raising awareness of our services among children. They now recognise our services and know how to reach to us," said Qayed.
In line with the new law, Al Kamda said that a community centre is currently under construction in Hatta and is expected to launch by the end of this year, while two more centres are being established in Dubai.
"It is important to encourage communities to participate, because child protection is a social responsibility beyond child protection specialists."
The centre, which is based in Barsha and serves residents up to 18 years old, is establishing a training programme that will serve everyone in direct contact with children in all sectors.
"We will train educators in schools, social workers and health specialists on their responsibilities and how to detect and report abuse cases," said Dr Abdul Aziz Al Hamadi, Director Family Cohesion Department, CDA.
The new law protects children that make up around 24 per cent of the UAE population based on 2010 figures. Anyone in contact with a child can now be held accountable for causing harm and is legally obliged to report cases of suspected abuse.
The CDA's Child Protection Centre, an official entity named to receive abuse reports, has the right to take action based on the extent of the risk.
Child protection specialists are expected to do site visits or get a specialist's intervention to ensure the child's safety, and in extreme cases, refer the parents to the courts.
However, Al Kamda stressed that the centre will not take children away from their families unless their life is at risk with their guardians. In this case, the child is transferred to an extended family member.
The CDA launched the Child Protection Centre in the last quarter of 2013 to ensure residents under 18 years old and their families have means to report abuse.
The centre has received more than 300 reports through different channels including its hotline, email, personal visits, or transfers from other government authorities such as Dubai Police.
To report an abuse, officials encourage calling 800988, or email child@cda.gov.ae or personally visiting the centre.
 
sherouk@khaleejtimes.com
 


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