BASSTERRE, St. Kitts - VANTA WALTERS, retired Early Childhood Coordinator said that children are our future and for them to continuously be abused while those who see and know of the abuse remain silent, is cursing the future.
She made these comments while speaking at a recent graduation ceremony held in honour of ten toddlers who were moving on from nursery to pre-school of which she was the guest speaker.
She spoke in reference to this year's Child Month theme: "Act now, break the silence, stop child abuse" which she described as "very fitting" given the high rate of child abuse in the Federation.
"Recently our Chief Medical Officer disclosed that for every one hundred children born in the Federation, at least 15 of them are victims of child abuse and he went on to say that the Ministry of Social Development records about one hundred child abuse cases per year and those were only the reported cases," she enlightened.
She said that children who are continuously abused will have serious effects such as mental and physical disorders, and behavioural problems that they will carry with them into adulthood and eventually pass on to the next generation.
The children would have low self esteem, they will be insecure, they will be always living in fear, they will have low self confidence, they will suffer from depression and anxiety, they can become overly angry, aggressive and violent.
"Children who are abused and neglected can develop sleep disorders, they can become truant, they might have severe scars, and they might suffer other physical effects. They are usually negatively impacted in so many ways and sometimes grow up to become abusers themselves."
She warned that the child's would not be able to develop a relationship with others as the child would not have necessary self esteem for this to happen thus causing the child to be inhibited.
"The child's relationship with others will be warped. Self esteem will never be what is necessary to enable full development; the child growth will be forever stunted and condemned to a life of mediocrity and even retardation.
"Deep seated anger can erupt into violence at any time and instead of a brilliant human being, a stunted confused persons takes its place. The damages would be passed on to the next generation unknowingly and, just like that, we have stunted the growth of the nation," Walters cautioned.
"Can anyone of us afford to let this happen?" she asked.
Walters said that children should not grow up in a hostile environment but rather one that is warm and friendly where they are loved, nurtured and cuddled.
Quoting the late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Walters said "Our lives begin to end when we stay silent about the things that matter". She said stopping child abuse is important.
"Imagine a baby, or a flower containing all the elements necessary to grow up to its full potential. This person or flower bud can develop to reach the heights of genius or of beauty. The baby can become anything if it unfolds with the love and positive stimulation necessary to make it grow but the flower bud if it is bruised will never open into the full glory it was meant to display so too the child if bruised by sexual, physical or verbal abuse and neglect will wilt like a flower and have mental blocks to its full development," she elucidated.
Walters warned that it should not hurt to be a child. She said that children are our best promise for a brighter and better tomorrow, noting that they are not only our best hope but our only hope.
"It is on their tiny shoulders the future prosperity of St. Kitts and Nevis rest. They have the task of ensuring peaceful coexistence of all persons in a harmonised community, free of strife and acrimony. We the older ones cannot be the solution, we cannot do it. We are the problem and they are the tomorrow's solution.
"Abused children will be a curse for the future; they will destroy the country more and pass on what have been done to them. All of this is why they should be considered tomorrow's promise," she warned.
