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Social welfare chief calls for more efforts to end violence against children
By Leilani S. Junio

MANILA, Dec. 6 (PNA) -- Social Welfare Secretary Judy Taguiwalo on Tuesday called for unity and more efforts in preventing violence against children.

In her message during the launch of the first-ever national “Baseline Study on Violence Against Children”, held at the Centennial Hall of Manila Hotel, Taguiwalo said the new baseline data would “allow us to respond to issues more appropriately”.

She said the study will be more meaningful and significant if translated into action, such as by using the data in making policies and programs that will serve as proper interventions and enhancing the capacity of service providers and responders.

The study was presented by Dr. Laurie S. Ramiro, principal scientific investigator from the University of the Philippines.

Ramiro said that based on their findings, 80 percent of the 3,866 respondents aged 13 to 24 had experienced some form of violence in their lifetime, whether in the home, school, workplace, community or during dating. The prevalence rate among boys is 81.5 percent and among girls, 78.4 percent.

The study also revealed that one in three children experiences physical violence, with more than half of this happening at home. The most common case of violence at home is the imposition of corporal punishment by parents and siblings.

It further noted that three in five children experience psychological violence in the form of verbal abuse, threats or neglect, while one in five children below 18 has experienced sexual violence while growing up. It also found out that the common perpetrators of sexual violence are brothers or cousins. Among males who experience sexual violence, the perpetrators are cousins, fathers and brothers.

The study also cited that nearly half of the children experience violence online, whether sexual violence or cyber bullying.

“It is of deep concern that so many forms of violence pervade and harm the lives of Filipino children across all settings, committed by people they trust,” said UNICEF country representative Lotta Sylwander.

Sylwander emphasized that the study requires a high-level of commitment on the part of the government and its partners to support the National Action Plan.

She acknowledged the interventions being made under the Philippine government’s commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) to end violence against children by addressing its ‘drivers’ or root cause.

Among the reasons for VAC are poverty, occurrence of disaster, migration and prevailing social norms.

Meanwhile, Taguiwalo linked the government’s moves to end corruption, create jobs, carry out anti-poverty programs and jumpstart peace talks to efforts to address indirectly the VAC issue.

She also noted that although the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) is not directly addressing violence against children, it has provided them a more favorable environment.

Other than those, she said, they have centers all over the country where abused children are being assisted. (PNA)

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