IN light of the observation of November 19 as World Day for the Prevention of Child Abuse and November 20 as Universal Children’s Day, the Office of the Children’s Registry reminded the public of their duty to help protect the nation’s children last weekend.

Registrar of the Office of the Children’s Registry, Greig Smith stated that “the observation of these two days serves as a reminder of the importance of children to our society and the need to ensure we protect them.”

In making reference to the Child Care and Protection Act (CCPA 2004), Smith stated that one way in which individuals can help to protect children is by reporting child abuse.

“According to the CCPA, it is the duty of every adult to report child abuse, once it is known or suspected,” Smith reminded.

The Office of the Children’s Registry, responsible for receiving reports of child abuse and maintaining a central repository of child abuse statistics in Jamaica, records and assesses the reports it receives and then refers them to the Child Development Agency and the Office of the Children’s Advocate for investigation. Additionally, reports indicating clear and imminent danger to the child are routed to the Centre for Investigation of Sexual Offences and Child Abuse (CISOCA).

Since the start of the year, the Children’s Registry has already received over 6,000 reports of child abuse, compared to a similar amount received in 2009 and 2010 each year. In 2008, over 4,000 reports were received compared to the over 400 reports received in its first year of operation in 2007.

Smith shared that while there has been evidence of increased reporting based on the rise in reports received by the Registry over the years, there are still adults who fail to report child abuse. As a result, the Children’s Registry has been trying to encourage children to report child abuse themselves.

“The Registry recently concluded six regional consultations with over 300 children across the island, aimed at increasing awareness of the different types of child abuse, the signs to look out for and how to report child abuse,” Smith shared. He added that the children were very receptive to the information shared and made a commitment to share the information with their peers.

Individuals, who wish to make a report to the Children’s Registry may do so by calling 1-888-PROTECT (1-888-776-8328), 908-2132, 878-2882 (Digicel) or 822-7031 (LIME). Reports may also be faxed to 908-0246 or e-mailed to reports@ocr.gov.jm. The Registry is currently open between the hours of 7:00 am-11:00 pm Mondays to Fridays.

World Day for the Prevention of Child Abuse was initiated by the Women’s World Summit Foundation (WWSF) in 2000 and aims to create a culture of prevention around the world by encouraging governments and community/society organisations to play more active roles in protecting children.

Universal Children’s Day marks the day on which the Declaration of the Rights of the Child was adopted in 1959, and the Convention on the Rights of the Child, in 1989. Universal Children’s Day celebrates children just for being themselves and reminds us that children need love and respect to grow to their full potential. It is a day to listen to children, to marvel at their uniqueness and all they have to offer.