Ikorodu Case of Alleged Child Abuse: Away With the Hypocrisy of Tokenism
Source: http://taiwoakinlamiblog.com
A video clip of a teacher allegedly abusing a three-year-old in a school in Ikorodu has gone viral. Yesterday, I received calls from both print and electronic media seeking my opinion. My response was simple: “No comment.” I have reached this conclusion because I believe that child protection is not a fluke, it cannot happen in a society without the proper systems in place.
Globally, it is recognized that an effective Child Safeguarding and Protection System, codified into policy and broken down into actionable processes, requires the training of all stakeholders, children, parents, and organizations on their roles and responsibilities. This system ensures accountability across all parties involved. Anyone, whether in government, media, private schools, or advocacy groups, who is not committed to this system and does not advocate for its establishment within families and child-focused organizations, is being hypocritical if they speak out when a child is abused. Abuse cannot be prevented without the proper system in place.
We’ve been advocating for Child Safeguarding and Protection System since 1997. A robust system involves the family, community, state, and international community. Families inculcate values, while communities, through schools, religious organizations, NGOs, and the media, reinforce them. The state, through policies and laws, must support these efforts. The Child Rights Act (Section 2) clearly outlines the importance of policy and systems to protect children.
At the heart of the issue is a society that is not egalitarian. If our public schools were functioning properly, there would be less need for the proliferation of substandard private schools, an environment that unfortunately enables child abuse. This is ultimately the responsibility of the state.
I remain suspicious of those who sensationalize child abuse cases, whether they are media people, advocates, or others. If they truly had the best interests of the child at heart, they would not ignore proven solutions and continue to pursue a different approach. As Einstein said, “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” This is indeed insane.
Read more of the story here: https://childreninfobank.com/safebank/ikorodu-case-of-alleged-child-abuse-away-with-the-hypocrisy-of-tokenism/
Image Source: http://taiwoakinlamiblog.com
