HEAD of the National Child Month Committee Nicole Patrick Shaw has rallied Jamaicans at all levels to “stand and do something from where they are at” against all forms of child abuse and exploitation this Child Month.

Speaking at Wednesday’s post-Cabinet media briefing Patrick Shaw said the increase in violence against children had spurred the committee to coin the theme for the month ‘Act Now, Stand Against Child Abuse and Exploitation’.

“You must be wondering why is it that we selected the theme… and what has happened is that we did an environmental assessment last quarter in December and we realised that there’s an increase in child violence that is happening in Jamaica,” said Patrick Shaw.

“The report says that over 43,000 cases of child abuse were reported between January 2019 and December 2020 and so you would have 60 reports per day, in terms of child abuse. Between 2020 and 2024 crimes against children included 168 murders, 1, 439 rapes, 2,576 sexual offenses, 351 shootings, and it goes on and on and on,” Patrick Shaw outlined further.

She said the subsequent release of Jamaica’s First Violence Survey Against Children by the Planning Institute of Jamaica in November last year was the deciding factor.

“We recognised some stark results in terms of what is happening with our children and so we recognised that we needed to put into action the theme,” Patrick Shaw declared.

“We’re just asking you from where you stand, whether you are in an entity or whether you are in a community group, to join the charge, act now, stand against child abuse and exploitation,” added Patrick Shaw.

Celebrations for the month will kick off with a national church service on Saturday, May 3 at Northern Caribbean University in Mandeville, Manchester.

This will be followed by National Children’s Day on May 16, and Jamaicans are encouraged to show their support by wearing sunshine yellow that day.

A National Day of Prayer is slated for Wednesday, May 28, and on Friday, May 30, the National Child Month Committee will distribute care packages to vulnerable families.

The line-up of activities will stretch into November with the Youth Academic Achievement Awards and Youth Forum, honouring students who have excelled despite challenges.