4,857 cases of child abuse in 10 months

With this in mind and as the number of child abuse cases keeps rising, the Authority is once again appealing to parents and guardians to ensure the safety of their children during the school holidays.

The Authority noted that particularly during school vacations and long weekends, there was a significant increase in cases of child abuse. Parents and guardians are being urged to ensure their children were left in the care of a responsible and trusted adult, whether at home or at a camp.

It said parents and guardians should inform their children to never keep inappropriate touching a secret, or any secrets in general.

They should, the Authority said, get to know the adults and other children their kids interact with and observe their relationships, and children should be taught never to accept anything (money, food, toys) from strangers. Parents and guardians were advised to know who their children’s friends were, and to speak to them about peer pressure and ways to avoid it. They should also speak to children about safely surfing the internet and, when applicable and age appropriate, use parental controls which are designed to protect children from inappropriate content online.

With the passage of the Children’s Act 2012, a child is defined as someone under the age of 18, with parents and guardians ultimately responsible for the care and protection of their children