The Secretary to the Lagos State Government, Mrs. Abimbola Salu-Hundeyin, has said that most children who are sexually abused often have their destinies altered, stressing that parents must pay special attention to their children.
Speaking yesterday at a Safeguarding and Child Protection Programme organised by the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency, Salu-Hundeyin said the body of children are their destinies, noting that once the body is destroyed, their destiny is destroyed.
This, to her, is why the role of parents in preventing child abuse is the most critical.
“As a parent, God has given you these children so that you can protect them and it goes beyond paying school fees, but preventing them from being untowardly tampered with.
“When a child is abused, the child loses confidence. He does not only lose confidence, he becomes depressed or violent, and any terrible thing can happen to the child.”
“A lot of the ills in the society are from children who were abused and because they were too afraid to tell anybody when the thing happened, they grow up with it and some of them become bitter and want to inflict pains on others and the society,” she said.
The SSG added that when children are abused, it affects their self worth and academic performance.
“Without your body, you are nobody. It is important that parents give quality time to their children, knowing where these children are per time,” she added.
The Executive Secretary of Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency, Titilola Vivour-Adeniyi, explained that the programme was organised because safeguarding of children is at the heart of protecting and caring for children.
“It is to engage students and help them know about issues of sexual and gender based violence. It is also about helping them to know what to do and steps to take when abused,” she said.
She added that when children are safeguarded against abuse, stakeholders are only being proactive.
Vivour-Adeniyi further said that safeguarding and protecting children from abuse is the collective responsibility of all stakeholders.
Dean, Faculty of Social Science, University of Lagos, Prof. Olufunlayo Bammeke, said parents must pay due attention to their children because children are abused most in places where they are supposed to be most safe, adding that they are more vulnerable to those who know them.
“Safeguarding and protecting children is a collective responsibility of parents, teachers, government agencies, faith based organisations and civil societies,” she noted.
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