Kids at risk: Child safety in schools

Schools in UAE are an ideal location to put safety measures in place to protect children, said a child abuse expert.

“Children spend lot of time in schools and so schools have a responsibility to protect their pupils” said Dr Sue Benett, international child abuse expert and member of international society for prevention of child abuse and neglect’s (ISPCAN) Arab professional network.

The network assists Arab countries in developing their child protection systems.

The recent death of a three-year old boy in a school bus as well as cases of sexual assault in school buses raises questions about the safety systems in schools.

In 2007, the International Women’s Cultural Forum in UAE registered 21 cases of sexual attacks. Most of the victims were girls under the age of 14 and many of the acts took place in schools or school buses.

“Teachers have told me that they don’t know what to do when a student reports an abuse. The problem is the lack of a frontline response to dealing with child abuse,” said Benett at a conference she organized along with Harvard Medical School Dubai Centre on protection of children and youth.

Benett said that while the police are pioneers in this region for dealing with abuse cases, there should be a clear and comprehensive and multi-sectorial child protection strategy to identify report and manage cases as well as provide victims with treatment.

Benett said that the UAE are leaders in the field in child protection in the region and UAE is the first Arab country to formulate a national law on human trafficking in 2006. “Now, we need a national law on child protection.”

Dr Shahraban Abdullah, head of pediatric department at Al Wasl and head of pediatric chapter Emirates Medical Association said, “We need to move towards establishing a child protection system and this is crucial for the safety of children.”

Dr Benett said that globally child abuse-physical, sexual or emotional is a hidden problem and often goes underreported. “Children are afraid to talk about the exploitation because child abuse often occurs at the hands of somebody that is known to the child or related to the child. Therefore society has to be vigilant.”

Dr Celeste Wilson, Instructor in Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School and Associate Medical Director of the Child Protection Program at Children’s Hospital Boston said,
“Children as young as one year olds, who are abused, cannot even express themselves.
“Healthcare providers need training to include child abuse in their analysis.”

Early intervention can save the child years of trauma, said Wilson, “Child abuse victims suffer post- traumatic disorder that includes depression, anxiety and suicide. They can also suffer from visual impairment and learning difficulties.”

Dr Benett said, “Child abuse is preventable and early identification and intervention is essential to prevent the long term physical, mental and social consequences.”