The UN agency’s chief representative here, Dr Festo Kavishe, said recent assessments showed an increase in the tendency by people to vent their emotions and frustrations on children in the face of debilitating economic and social problems.
There is a tendency for people to take out their frustrations on children when they are unable to provide necessary care. Child rape, that most abhorrent of crime, is just one type of abuse. Zimbabwe’s current economic challenges have meant an increase in verbal abuse, neglect and physical violence, Kavishe said.
Statistics released by UNICEF show an increase in cases recorded by police of child abuse from 2000 now to close to 4000.
Thousands of children have also been forced to drop out of school owing to a myriad problems including failure by guardians to raise fees as well as shortages of teaching personell, further exposing them to abuse.
Post published in: News