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