How the pandemic intensified child abuse in Jamaica
- Serafina Hills
- Feb 17, 2022
- 3 min read
The Pandemic Impact
When the first case of Covid hit Jamaican shores in March 2020, the government closed primary and secondary schools and over 500,000 children transitioned to remote learning. The majority of schools have yet to resume face-to-face classes since the March 13 closure. Close to one year since the pandemic struck, which to date has killed over 1.6 million people and sickened over 72 million, this psychological and physical abuse on children faced is just beginning to be unearthed. What is already clear though, is that children, especially those living in poverty, are suffering at many levels, and there is often nowhere to turn. Whilst before, they would have a watchful eye such as a guidance counsellor at school, this is no longer available and they are stuck in these situations, the pandemic making it much harder to reach out and find the help and guidance that was accessible before.
Janet Cupidon Quallo, child protection specialist with Unicef Jamaica said The lack of a contact point is one of the challenges, “We realize the extent and the significance of school providing that anchor in terms of the psycho social aspects of their life.” School can also provide a safe space for those vulnerable.
Because of heightened financial worries also, the chance of abuse rises as caregivers and parents turn to taking this out on their children. Globally, a study from Unicef showed the reality - the children have no means of contact for help. It found that “1.8 billion children live in the 104 countries where violence prevention and response services have been disrupted due to COVID-19. Children may not be able to report abuse because they do not have access to a phone, they may be overheard by parents or caretakers, or they do not have phone credit. These problems that could have previously been solved by in-person contact, are rising dramatically.
Source: Loop Jamaica
Other damage on children
Although direct abuse is the primary issue, other issues and forms of damage can also stem from this. These include missing out from the basic necessities of life. Many parents can no longer afford health checks because of the pandemic so children have to go without. There is also a lot of emotional damage that can occur as the children are faced with the issues their parents will also be faced with as they are all stuck together.
In Jamaica, eight in 10 households with children experienced a reduction in income, with that figure even higher for female-headed households, those in rural areas, and those with lower socio-economic status. The study also found that due to restrictions from the pandemic, just under 45% of households have experienced a shortage of food.
For a small island developing state that is anticipating a 10% contraction in the economy, recovery will be difficult as the government tries to cope with competing needs. In the meantime, private and public sector collaborations are focusing on establishing a 24-hour helpline for youth who need to reach out for help.
Sexual abuse
Sexual abuse has always been a problem, one in four Jamaican girls between 15-19 has experienced sexual violence. With school closures, they are at a heightened risk of being victimised and lack the support they need from schools or communities that have been shut down.
Source: office of the children's registry
Between January-June 2020, the National Children’s Registry has received over 1,000 reports of sexual abuse that have been referred for investigation. While reports dipped significantly in April (82 reports) and May (119 reports) – at a time when reporting was more difficult among COVID-19 restrictions – they rose again in June to 228 reports.
Many charities and organisations such as UN are working incredibly hard to stop this, and to prevent violence against women and children. A new initiative was implemented in 2020 called the Spotlight Initiative which focuses on treating family violence as a major public health and development issue. Hopefully, the changes will start to be made to help the people who need it.
I think this situation shows us that the pandemic is not only that but stems into many other issues. It isn’t just about keeping your grandparents safe or wearing a mask when you meet your friends, there is a lot more to it that we need to stop turning a blind eye to.
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