MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica—Children’s Advocate, Diahann Gordon Harrison, has called on parents and guardians to be vigilant about who they allow to have access to their children and to ensure that they are property vetted.

“Children who are abused are primarily abused by persons who know them – persons who know their parents, who have access to them. This underscores the importance for parents and caregivers to be very strategic about who they allow into their children’s spaces,” she said.

“We must be very wise about the persons we let into our spaces, ensuring they have the best intentions and have been thoroughly vetted,” she stressed.

Gordon Harrison, who was speaking at the Early Childhood Commission’s (ECC) Annual Professional Development Institute at the Montego Bay Convention Centre on May 21, also called for a culture of openness where children are encouraged and supported to share concerns without fear, enabling adults to intervene before harm occurs.

“Children, themselves, need to be empowered to speak up if something feels or seems uncomfortable. Prevention is always better than response,” she said.

Turning to recent discussions about the sex offender registry and calls for it to be made public, Gordon Harrison said there is a need to revisit how the registry is used.

“We should consider whether certain information, perhaps at a community or parish level, can be shared responsibly to alert residents and protect children better. We must balance privacy with safety and be careful to avoid vigilantism or jungle justice, which can cause further harm,” she pointed out.

She said that the safety of children must remain paramount, especially given data from 2023, which indicated that physical abuse, sexual abuse and neglect remain significant concerns within educational and caregiving environments.

“Our schools and early-childhood institutions are places of learning and socialisation but, unfortunately, they also present vulnerabilities,” she noted.

“Many educators are doing the right thing, but we must continue to educate, train, and establish clear protocols to prevent abuse and ensure swift action when incidents occur,” she pointed out.

Gordon Harrison highlighted the importance of public education campaigns to reinforce proper practices among school staff, parents, and community members.

“We need continuous dialogue with school officials and clear standard operating procedures so that everyone knows what steps to take if something inappropriate happens,” she said.

“When there is overwhelming evidence of abuse, the Office of the Children’s Advocate is committed to intervening and ensuring that children’s rights are protected and that they receive redress,” Gordon Harrison assured.

-JIS