Children are experiencing horrific levels of violence in the home, either as direct victims or as witnesses of domestic violence. Exposure to violence has a profound impact on the development potential of children, including trauma that lasts throughout life and can impact on adult behavior and relationships.
Patterns of violence across generations reveal that when boys experience violence in childhood, there is a higher probability of repeating violent behavior during adulthood. For the millions of children who experience trauma, abuse and neglect in South Africa, their immediate and closet support networks are parents and other family members, community leaders, teachers, or someone in the neighborhood who offers a place of safety and care. That’s why it is critical to provide these caregivers with information and guidance to empower them to protect and care for children who seek their help.
The statistics present a clear call to action:
- 1/3 of children experience some form of sexual abuse during childhood (boys slightly more than girls.)
- 12% of children experience neglect.
- 18% of children have experienced physical abuse
- 26% of children have experienced emotional abuse.
To help tackle these challenges, UNICEF South Africa and Jelly Beanz have produced “Protect Children and Help them Heal,” a resource booklet which aims to assist caregivers to better understand how children respond to trauma and how they can best care for and support children affected by violence.
The booklet will be distributed in both physical and electronic form via the Jelly Beanz and UNICEF websites and on social media, as well as through the communication platforms of other organisations working in this space. We invite you to join the launch of the booklet and to support efforts to reach as many people as possible with this important resource that will be available for download straight after the launch.
We ask that you please share the download link for the resource booklet on your website, share with your school, community organisations, and with others to help get this resource into the hands of as many people as possible.
Wednesday, 22 September 2021 / Time: 13h00 – 14h00 / Link: https://forms.gle/iEWLxqKF8y2nmcreA – to attend the virtual launch.
