Don Cautions Parents, Caregivers On Dangers, Evils Of Abuse On Future Generation
An academic scholar, Prof. Regina Eya, has expressed the need for young people to be educated and exposed on the act of good parenting.
Eya argued that educating young people on the act of parenting would go a long way in reducing the incidences of child abuse, prevalent in the society.
She made this submission in Enugu during the presentation and launch of a book titled Psychological Interpretation of Child Abuse: A Research in Igbo land of Nigeria, written by Rev. Fr. Benedict Ugwuanyi.
Eya, who was also the book reviewer, regretted that many parents and caregivers abused children under their care through unjustified punishment, without knowing that they were infringing upon their human rights.
While arguing that punishing a child is a necessary part of upbringing, she however, urged parents to be careful not to exceed the boundary of punishment and discipline into abusing them.
According to her, any abused child sees himself or herself as worthless to the society, as a result of the abuse.
She commended the author of the book for focusing his attention on Igbo land with the view to exposing the evils committed against children in the region.
She enumerated five types of child abuse to include: physical abuse, sexual abuse, psychological abuse, child neglect and child labour.
She added that psychological abuse, which affects the mental health of a child, is the worst form of child abuse.
The Principal of the College of Immaculate Conception, Enugu, Rev. Fr Hillary Mgbodile, while supporting an end to child abuse, however, cautioned against adopting hook, line and sinker, the Western method of raising children in Africa.
According to Fr Mgbodile, the African society has a defined and beautiful method of bringing up children, and as such should not be allowed to be eroded because of the condemnation from the Western world.
On her part, a representative from the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Person, NAPTIP, Mrs Amarachi Isiani, said NAPTIP was established in 2004 to deal with the rising human trafficking and child abuse.
Isiani revealed that the agency was currently prosecuting many cases relating to child abuse in Enugu and South East in general, which she regretted were committed by those considered as elites.
The NAPTIP representatives added that the agency would not keep quiet and allow Nigerian children abused or dehumanised by their parents or caregivers without intervening.
She warned that anyone caught dehumanising children would face the music.
In an interview, the author of the book, Rev. Dr Ugwuanyi, said the abuse meted out to Nigerian children, especially in Igbo land, motivated him into writing the book, which he believed would correct the societal ill.
The catholic priest stressed that there were lots of child abuse going on in South East region, as cases of sexual, physical and psychological abuses against children were reported by the media on a daily basis.
He expressed dismay that child neglect and child labour unfortunately were becoming norms in the Igbo society, a trend that was not known to the Igbo society in the past.
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Sam Udekwe is a journalist working in the News and Current Affairs department, Enugu State Broadcasting Service (ESBS) Enugu. He is well trained in all genres of journalistic venture.
Mr Sam read Mass Communication, graduating all with Distinction in National Diploma, Higher National Diploma and Postgraduate Diploma at IMT, Enugu and Madonna University, Okija, Anambra state, while he is presently on his M.Sc programme also in Mass Communication, at National Open University of Nigeria.
He is currently the NUJ Chairman, Enugu state.
samowailo@gmail.com
