Plans underway for Child Abuse Prevention Day

Chief Social Development Officer Mrs. Annie Malone-Frett

“Child abuse is everybody’s business because it touches every segment of society. So I am appealing to the wider community to get involved, as child abuse has emotional and financial implications for our society,” the Chief Social Development Officer said.

Mrs. Malone-Frett noted that visits to public and private schools; the distribution of ribbons, pamphlets, and other paraphernalia; and appearances on ZBVI’s Morning Devotions have been scheduled in the prelude to World Day for the Prevention of Child Abuse later this month.

“Despite a drop in the number of reported incidents so far this year, child abuse continues to be a problem in our Territory, therefore the Social Development Department is keen to seize every available opportunity to increase public awareness about that problem, with the hope of reducing those disturbing incidents,” the Chief Social Development Officer told the Department of Information and Public Relations.  ~~Adz:Right~~

World Day for the Prevention of Child Abuse will be celebrated under the theme ‘Together, let us create a culture of prevention.’

The Territory’s observance of the day follows Government’s signing on November 5 of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Country Programme Action Plan 2008-2011, which among other things seeks to promote mutual agreement and cooperation for the fulfilment of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.

On October 29 the Social Development Department also partnered with UNICEF to host a one-day workshop entitled National Protocol for the Prevention, Reporting, Investigating and Management of Child Abuse and Neglect in the BVI. The upcoming observance demonstrates Government’s commitment to protect the well-being of children in the Territory. It also reinforces Government’s compliance with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.