Protection From Abuse And Neglect Essay Research

Paper

Protection From Abuse and Neglect

I have recently been elected in a new statewide project in Minnesota to

create and provide leadership in a small scale voluntary association for

children . The focus of the small scale association is based on the United

Nations General Assembly that adopted a Convention on the rights of the Child.

It is a program to provide information and knowledge on the substantive right

for “Protection from abuse and neglect” designed specifically for children. The

right states that ” the State shall protect the child from all forms of

maltreatment by parents or others responsible for the care of the child and

establish appropriate social programs for the prevention of abuse and the

treatment of victim”.

The purpose of the new state-wide small scale association is to inform

children through first-hand knowledge and example on the protection from abuse

and neglect. The substantive right is very important for children to know and

understand in case they, or someone they know is ever involved in an abusive

situation. The small scale association is limited to children so they can feel

free to express their experiences and ask questions openly to others without

having to worry about adult supervision. This may interest children to comment

on situations and on general conversation that they normally would be scared to

ask their parents. I feel that this is relevant to children in today’s society

because these situations of abuse and neglect occur in many households, and

children either do not know their rights or fail to take action to them.

The kinds of topics and issues discussed in the association and in

connection with children’s rights will vary according to importance. The

beginning stages of the meetings will consist of examples and definitions of

what abuse and neglect constitute. We will then as a group apply what we know

to everyday situations in which these forms of maltreatment by parents or others

responsible for them. Next we would apply these situations to the substantive

right for Children according to what the United Nations Generally assemble

established. In connection with the “Bill of Rights” and through discussion,

children will learn that they might have been involved in a situation of abuse

or neglect and failed to realize it. This gets aback to the focus of the small

scale association which is to inform children what the “Protection from abuse

and neglect” really means and what they can do about it.

After the early stages of the meetings where we introduce the

substantive right, the group will become further involved in field trips and

activities. This will aid the children to learn through first hand experience

and in interactive activities what the State considers “Protection from abuse

and neglect.” Once every two months, the group will take a field trip to an

area correctional abuse center where we will hear first hand from counselors who

help abusive adults deal with their problems. The counselors will provide such

useful information as warning signs for children in abusive and neglect

situations, advice on how to approach adults who abuse them , and who to tell

and talk to about there kinds of situations. Through experience with abusive

adults, counselors will stress the point to children that maltreatment is not

uncommon in households and is usually repetitive. Children need to learn that

it is not their fault in neglect situations and they should not blame themselves

for the harm they receive.

Another activity that the group will participate in is through

interactive group skits. Individuals will be assigned a role in which they must

respond actively to the situation. For example, a child may play a frustrated

adult who returns home after l long day of work. The adult might swear and then

strike the child, and the child will practice to act responsively by talking to

his parents and go as far as reporting it if the situation continues to occur.

After months of studying and learning, the children will take their knowledge to

the public.

The projects that the children will be involved in is a variety of

surveys of other peers and children to provide statistical information about

adolescents in the area. From there, children will be asked to pass out

information to parents and children in the neighborhood about abusive and

neglect situations, warning signs, and whom to contact in social programs for

the prevention of abuse and the treatment of victims. By doing this, will also

promote the strength of our program to other children in the area and convince

them to become involved in our small scale voluntary association.

II.

For those of you who may have missed last week’s meeting, I have here an

overview of what we covered. The two hour meeting was broken down into six

different twenty minute topics about what have been covering lately.

1) The first block was designated to small group discussion about

everyday family disorders. In other words, we talked about what was going on at

home. Discussion questions included: ” Are there any stressful situations that

your parents have been having that you’ve noticed?” ” What sort of extra stress,

if any, have you been putting on your parents?” “Describe the relationship you

have been having with your family, is it open and comfortable?”

2) Large group discussion about defining abuse and neglect and the

rights we as children have. In this section we stressed that abuse and neglect

are common, however, not realized. We also discussed our rights under the

“Convention on the rights of the Child” and what that means to us.

3) Large group discussion of warning signs of abuse and neglect. Here

we talked about ways in which adults handle certain kinds of family situations.

Also how parents handle family crises. Discussion questions included: “Give two

examples of warning signs; are there ways of stopping the problem before it is

too late?”

4) Group discussion on how to approach abusive adults. We talked about

ways we can talk to parents and adults about what is it that they’re doing that

bothers us. Also, how important it is that we do mention the problem to the

adult so the situation does not continue to occur.

5) A guest speaker talked about area social programs for the prevention

of abuse and the treatment of victims. Here we became more aware of people to

talk to or seek help if we are put in an abusive situation. The speaker

stressed the importance of telling someone else if something at home is

bothering us because there are others out there who are experiencing the same

thing.

6) The last twenty minutes was designated to questions and answers.

This was time set aside at the end for children to ask questions about things

covered during the meeting, or anything else.