Numerous consultations with children in Dominica have emphasized that the right to children’s security and protection needs enforcement in their homes and in their schools. Due to ongoing advocacy, children themselves, youth, adults, civil society and the public sector are voicing the urgent need to make this a priority.
Consequently, as part of East Dominica Children’s Federation support towards creating safe and protective school environment through the Child Friendly Schools initiative, a Child Assault Prevention Project will be administered in Five (5) additional Primary Schools along the South Eastern Districts of Dominica.
This project is undertaken in partnership with the International Center for Assault Prevention (ICAP) headquartered in New Jersey(http://www.internationalcap.org).
This project follows a successful pilot funded by CFLI, UNICEF and ChildFund in 2015 in which 40 child and social workers were trained to facilitate the project for over 900 participants in two urban Primary Schools in Dominica (Goodwill Primary and Roseau Primary).
Implementation of this program took place in 6 additional Primary Schools in February and March of 2016 (Salybia, Sineku, San Sauveur, Mahaut, Penville and St. Lukes Primary School)
The expansion of this initiative seeks to replicate the favorable outcomes from the pilot project held in 2015.
This Child Assault Prevention Program directly teaches children to recognize and deal with potentially dangerous situations. It trains teachers and parents to help through their responses and actions.
This program provides the opportunity to empower teachers, parents and most importantly, children to avoid, prevent and resolve conflict/assault by peers and adults and thereby create a more inclusive and supportive school, home and societal climate.
The Five Participating Schools are the Castle Bruce, Grandfond, Morne Jaune, Jones Beaupierre and Delices Primary School.
The program has three components: a parent program, a staff workshop, and individual classroom workshops for children in Grades K through Grade 6. Teachers Workshop commenced on May 9th and will be followed by Parent’s Workshop and Children’s Classroom Workshops which will run through the second week in June.
Does this include parents hitting their children with objects? Too much beating and threats of beatings is also a type of abuse. Insulting children is another form. Are cultural norms abusive? Are abuse and discipline the same thing? The cultural aspect is going to be extremely difficult to change because everyone seems to think it’s alright to hit, punch and threaten children … or they will be swallowed up by “The World”. There doesn’t seem to be any understanding of why teenagers are killing each other – could it be because they were b eaten into submission as young children? Hmmm
Children are assaulted in various places. Here our attention has been drawn to schools in particular.
At School they are sometimes assaulted by a fellow student, a teacher, or by somebody who doesn’t belong either coming into the school, or loitering around the school. Any person or action that appears suspicious should be reported immediately to the principle or a teacher.
There are many kinds of assault including touching, looking, picture taking, or suggestive conversation. Assault can also be physical or verbal bullying. Student should be taught not to talk with strangers or go anywhere with somebody they don’t know. They should not stay after school with a teacher or go to a teacher’s home without their parent’s permission.
I have said for years there should be one special person appointed in every school that students know they can talk to and confide in if somebody in or out of the school is troubling them. It can be a teacher,
principle, nurse, or counselor.