‘Children are so desensitised to violence they tend to run towards it’
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“Every day we hear about children who’ve been raped and abused, and families that have been torn apart - in those instances, the perpetrator is often in the home or known to the child,” said Fernandez. Picture: Brenton Geach/ANA Archives “Every day we hear about children who’ve been raped and abused, and families that have been torn apart - in those instances, the perpetrator is often in the home or known to the child,” said Fernandez. Picture: Brenton Geach/ANA Archives
Cape Town - Children have become so desensitised to violence and murders in their communities that they tend to run towards violence instead away from it, which leads to many of the psychological problems they face later in life.
This is according to Western Cape Social Development MEC Sharna Fernandez, who spoke at the African Regional Child Trauma Conference which took place on Monday in the Cape Town City Hall.
The event concludes on Wednesday and is focused on preventing and responding to child abuse, violence and neglect, with the City’s mayco member for Community Services and Health, Zahid Badroodien, and Education MEC Debbie Schäfer also speaking.
“Every day we hear about children who’ve been raped and abused, and families that have been torn apart - in those instances, the perpetrator is often in the home or known to the child,” said Fernandez.
“Our daughters tend to internalise violent experiences and go through instances of depression and anxiety, which increases their risk of further victimisation, while our sons tend to play out the experiences with increased risk-taking, aggressive behaviour and drug abuse.
She said that since the Department of Social Development launched the SMS line where people can report child abuse and neglect, more people have come forward with information about children being harmed.
“To try to combat the unacceptably high levels of child abuse in the Western Cape, our health services
and educational sectors have joined forces with the police, the community, safety, social services and different NGOs.”
Social Development MEC Sharna Fernandez, second from right, with event organisers Edith Kriel, Lucinda Fairhurst and Marita Rademeyer. Picture: Supplied
According Soraya Seedat, professor of psychiatry at Stellenbosch University, around one in six children will experience post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) at one point in their lives.
“We need age-appropriate interventions, particularly for younger children, because research that takes
place usually focuses on children who are 8 years old and above,” said
Seedat.
She said that it was usually not recommended to use medication on children who had PTSD, except in severe cases; and when medication was used, extreme caution
was needed.
The chairperson of the African Regional Child Trauma Conference, Dr Maria Mabetoa, emphasised the importance of fathers and sons in child protection.
“Studies have shown that when fathers are affectionate, it greatly affects the child’s cognitive
and social development and instils in them an overall sense of well-being and
self- confidence,” she said.
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