Spare the Rod or Spoil the Child?

Child Protection in Jamaica

Jamaica now has laws to protect children against abuse.  Under the Child Care and Protection Act It is no longer ok or acceptable to beat your child as a way of disciplining them, and you could find yourself in jail and/or hit with a hefty fine.

The Jamaican press are full of reports of parents and relatives who have applied “old school discipline”, only to find themselves in the dock.

Let us all protect our children

So what is this Child Protection Law all about?

In Jamaica, a child is referred to any person who is aged 0 – 18 years of age, and the Child Care and Protection Act strengthens the care and protection of children by introducing new standards for their treatment while removing the fragmentation of legislation relating to their welfare.

The act will also:

• put in place new organisations that will monitor the care and protection of children
• form new guidelines and standards that must be followed when dealing with children
• ensure that all adults consider the views and best interests of the child
• promote a Community responsibility for the reporting of abuses against children
• provide special help to children who are in need of care and protection
• ensure that all children are protected from abuse or neglect
• increase penalties for violations  of the rights of children and other offences under the Child Care and Prevention Act

Failing to report if you know or suspect that a child is abused or is in need of care and protection can result in a sentence of six months in prison or a fine of $500,000.

Examples of offences against children include, but are not limited to:
Physical abuse, iIll treatment, emotional abuse, sexual and carnal abuse and child labour.
Failing to report suspected abuse, the unauthorised disclosure of reports relating to children and the violation of  license terms issued to children’s homes and other institutions are also classed as offences under the Child Care and Protection Act.

So how do you go about reporting suspected abuse?
If you suspect a child is being abused There are several ways you can do report your suspicions.

Telephone
Child Development Agency at 1-888-Protect (1-888-776-8328),
Office of the Childrens Register 822-7031 or 878-2882 between the hours of 7 a.m. to 11 p.m.

In Person
You can visit the Office of the Children’s Registry at 48 Duke Street in Kingston.

Email/Fax
You can complete a Report Form that you can pick up at Child Development Agency offices islandwide which you complete and fax to to 924-9401 or email to ocrjamaica@yahoo.com.  We have been assured that your report to the Registry will be held strictly confidential and you can also submit an anonymous report.

It is excellent news that Jamaica is taking the issue of child protection seriously.  There are many ways of disciplining a child, and resorting to corporal punishment is not one of them.

We are discussing this very issue in the forum.

What do you think of the new law? Are you doing your part to protects the nations children? We would like to hear your views.