| In the Philippines, there are more than 36 | | | | juveniles and adults than others. |
| million people under 19 years old who are | | | | |
| living in utterly inhuman conditions. About a | | | | Although it is said that the most important |
| million and a half children are estimated to | | | | relationship for all beings is that with |
| live on the streets. They survive by begging | | | | their parents or with their families, child |
| for food and through petty theft. In spite of | | | | maltreatment often starts at home. |
| laws against child labor, more than three and | | | | Unfortunately, an alarming number of parents |
| a half million children from 5 to 17 years | | | | do not understand the importance of the |
| old work under grueling conditions. The data | | | | parent-child relationship. They are often |
| regarding child abuse and neglect in the | | | | too young or unprepared for such |
| Philippines are considered to be below the | | | | responsibility. Their inability to commit to |
| actual figures since the current statistics | | | | good parenting techniques causes serious |
| only reflect reported cases of abuse. | | | | detriment to the lives and well being of |
| | | | their children. |
| Recently, a survey by the Department of | | | | |
| Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) | | | | Children who have been maltreated are usually |
| reflected a sudden increase in the number of | | | | unwilling or unable to reveal their situation |
| children that resulted from increased | | | | to someone because of parental threats, or a |
| awareness and reporting in the community. | | | | feeling of loyalty to the family. For |
| Most of these children in this survey were | | | | children who are in school, while carefully |
| victims of child abuse and neglect, also | | | | asking a child may help to unearth details of |
| known as "child maltreatment." Child | | | | maltreatment, teachers need to be aware of |
| maltreatment is a behavior toward a child | | | | non-verbal ways in which the message of abuse |
| that is outside the norms of conduct and | | | | may be communicated. The presence of one |
| entails substantial risk of causing physical | | | | indicator alone does not necessarily mean |
| or emotional harm. Child maltreatment can be | | | | that maltreatment has occurred. If there are |
| a single incident, but it is usually a | | | | a number of indicators, then immediate |
| pattern of behavior that takes place over | | | | counseling is needed for the child. It is the |
| time. There are four types of recognized | | | | process by which a professional helps a |
| maltreatment. These are physical abuse, | | | | person cope with mental or emotional |
| sexual abuse, emotional abuse (psychological | | | | distress, and understand and solve personal |
| abuse), and neglect. | | | | problems is called counseling. |
| | | | |
| The causes of child maltreatment are varied | | | | Individual and group counseling sessions |
| and not well understood. Abuse and neglect | | | | usually take two years or even longer. The |
| are often associated with physical injuries, | | | | goal of undoing life-long damage can be very |
| delayed growth and development, and mental | | | | difficult because the damage pervades every |
| problems. They are more common in poor and | | | | aspect of a child. There may also be |
| extremely poor families than in families with | | | | physiological changes that cannot just be |
| higher incomes. Child maltreatment is also | | | | "counseled" away. Medication can be useful |
| associated with psychological and emotional | | | | for the symptoms of depression, anxiety and |
| problems such as aggression, depression, and | | | | other symptoms, but should never be dispensed |
| post-traumatic stress disorder. In extreme | | | | in the absence of counseling for the root of |
| cases, child abuse and neglect can lead to | | | | the problem. For children, play therapy and |
| death. | | | | family therapy can be helpful. |
| | | | |
| Child abuse is also linked to an increase | | | | It is important to help a child deal with the |
| risk of substance abuse, eating disorders, | | | | abuse as well as the psychological problems |
| obesity, depression, suicide, and sexual | | | | they report. Research indicates that without |
| promiscuity later on in their lives. Women | | | | some form of intervention against child |
| who were victims of physical assault during | | | | maltreatment, the long-term consequences for |
| their childhood are twice as likely to be | | | | children can be nightmares, feeling of |
| victims of physical assault as adults. There | | | | insecurity, feeling unsafe, poor school |
| are also evidences which suggest that victims | | | | performance and low self-esteem. They are |
| of child maltreatment are more likely to | | | | also more likely to be abusive or become |
| engage themselves in criminal behavior as | | | | victims of abuse themselves. |