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Sharjah: More than 1,600 child abuse cases reported on helpline this year

Cases were related to negligence, physical abuse, violence and misconduct, among others

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More than 1,600 cases of child abuse and violence were reported on the Sharjah Child Protection Department’s helpline since the start of the year, a top official has said.

Ahmed Al Mail, director of Sharjah Social Services department, while speaking to Khaleej Times on the sideline of the Sharjah Child Safety Forum, said that most of these cases were related to negligence, physical abuse, violence, cyber-blackmailing, bullying and misconduct. They were reported by parents, caregivers, teachers or others through the helpline 800700.

He said that the department has recently launched the ‘Ishraqa’ clinic, which is equipped with a team of social workers and psychologists to provide rehabilitation, social and psychological support to victims and those previously exposed to such abuse.

The clinic also conducts awareness programmes for parents to ensure that they maintain a safe family environment for the abused child to prevent the re-occurrence of such incidents.

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Al Mail said the child protection teams were given authority to intervene and protect a child who is at high risk. The trained and professional teams promptly respond to calls and refer cases to the concerned departments, including police and social welfare organisations.

He said that awareness campaigns highlighting the negative impact of beating children by parents or teachers, has led to a drop in cases of physical abuse of children by parents, guardians, teachers and caregivers.

The number of teenagers running away from home due to beatings by parents, siblings, and relatives, has also reduced sharply, he said.

• Sharjah