Child protection is the process of protecting individual children identified as either suffering, or likely to suffer, significant harm as a result of abuse or neglect. It involves measures and structures designed to prevent and respond to abuse and neglect.
Wikipedia defines child abuse as the physical, sexual or emotional maltreatment or neglect of a child or children. Any maltreatment, act or series of acts of commission or omission by a parent or other caregiver that results in harm, potential for harm, or threat of harm to a child is child abuse.
Child abuse can occur in a child's home, or in the organizations, schools or communities the child interacts with. There are four major categories of child abuse -- neglect, physical abuse, psychological or emotional abuse, and sexual abuse.
Physical abuse involves physical aggression directed at a child by an adult. Most nations with child abuse laws consider the deliberate infliction of serious injuries, or actions that place the child at obvious risk of serious injury or death, to be illegal. Bruises, scratches, burns, broken bones, lacerations, as well as repeated "mishaps," and rough treatment that could cause physical injury, can be physical abuse.
Sexual abuse is a form of child abuse in which an adult or older adolescent abuses a child for sexual stimulation. Sexual abuse refers to the participation of a child in a sexual act aimed toward the physical gratification or the financial profit of the person committing the act. Forms of child sexual assault include asking or pressuring a child to engage in sexual activities (regardless of the outcome), indecent exposure of the genitals to a child, displaying pornography to a child, actual sexual contact with a child, physical contact with the child's genitals, viewing of the child's genitalia without physical contact, or using a child to produce child pornography.
Some effects of sexual abuse to children include guilt and self-blame, flashbacks, nightmares, insomnia, fear of things associated with the abuse (including objects, smells, places, doctor's visits, etc.), self-esteem issues, sexual dysfunction, chronic pain, addiction, self-injury, suicidal ideation, somatic complaints, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, other mental illnesses including borderline personality disorder and dissociative identity disorder, and a propensity to re-victimization in adulthood.
Emotional abuse is defined as the production of psychological and social deficits in the growth of a child as a result of behavior such as loud yelling, coarse and rude attitude, inattention, harsh criticism, and denigration of the child's personality. Other examples include name-calling, ridicule, degradation, destruction of personal belongings, (torture) or killing of a pet, excessive criticism, inappropriate or excessive demands, withholding communication, and routine labeling or humiliation.
Child neglect is the failure of a parent or other person with responsibility for the child to provide needed food, clothing, shelter, medical care, or supervision to the degree that the child's health, safety, and well-being are threatened with harm. Neglect is also a lack of attention from the people surrounding a child, and the non-provision of the relevant and adequate necessities for the child's survival, which would be a lacking in attention, love, and nurture.
Children have the right to grow in an environment where they are healthy, loved, educated and treated with respect. They have the right to be protected from abuse and abusive situations that would and do affect their development into healthy and happy citizens and people who contribute to their community, lives and families.
The rights of children and the law
Constitutional rights apply to all age groups and children have the same rights as adults.
Children are however more vulnerable therefore it is important to recognize their special need for protection of the law.
In the Bahamas, children's rights are defined and governed by The Child Protection Act 2010 which also incorporates the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (the Convention).
Therefore in The Bahamas, not only do we have protection for our children by way of statute but international law provides an even broader social responsibility and further protection for children.
The general rights of the child are defined by section 4 of The Child Protection Act 2010 which states that a child shall have the right: Of leisure which is not normally harmful, and the right to participate in sports and positive cultural and artistic activities; to a just call on any social amenities or other resources available in any situation or armed conflict or natural or man-made disasters and to exercise, in addition to all the rights stated in this Act, all the rights set out in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child
Apart from the general rights of a child, Section 14 of the Act also encapsulates other rights of children to include the right of access of both parents as guardian of a child. Section 14 is consistent with and supports Article 9 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child which states that a child shall not be separated from his or her parents against their will. Therefore, unless there is a good reason to exceptional circumstances which are in the best interest of the child, children have a right to maintain personal relations and direct contact with both parents, whether the parents are married or not.
o For more information, or if you would like to speak to someone about something that is bothering you, telephone The Crisis Centre 24-hour hotline at 328-0922 or 322-4999. Check out our website at www.bahamascrisiscentre.org or contact us. Email us at bahamascrisiscentre@yahoo.com or call us.

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