TABUK CITY, Kalinga – During the second quarter meeting of the Local Council for the Protection of Children (LCPC), the City Social Welfare and Development (CSWD) emphasized the critical role of parents in child abuse prevention.
Social Welfare Officer Azraa Leigh Baccad underscores the preventive measures in addressing violence against children (VAC) during the meeting, highlighting the importance of empowering parents and communities to create safer environments for young people.
“They should have the skill to respond to parental duties and responsibilities in the areas of early childhood development, so they can guide their children to address the specific issues they are facing. In doing so, we prevent the different kinds of child abuse,” the social worker mentioned.
With 15 child abuse and 31 children in conflict with the law cases recorded by the CSWD for the first quarter of the year, she said there is a need for proactive approaches in safeguarding children.
For children who have already been victims of abuse, the CSWD provides a comprehensive range of rehabilitation services through psychosocial counseling, medical and legal support, and psychological assessments designed to help children recover and reintegrate into society.
The services for abused victims also include community-based welfare and development programs where technical assistance and resource augmentation are provided for vulnerable sectors such as children in need of special protection and youth with special needs at the community level.
The CSWD adopts a protocol for case management of child victims of abuse, neglect, and exploitation, highlighting the roles and responsibilities of government agencies and their partners, from reporting or referral of the child abuse case to its termination, in ensuring that the cases are dealt with in a child-sensitive and appropriate manner. By Darwin Serion
