Understanding Child Rights and Expression

Childhood is a stage in which all humans’ beings go through, at this stage they are vulnerable because a child is not fully developed mentally, physically or cognitively. A child is any human being below the age of eighteen (18) years old. Children rights range from social, economic, physical, legal and spiritual that was bestowed to them in 1989 by the Convention on the Rights of a child. As the agreement was crafted all nations included Trinidad and Tobago were to recognize that each child has “specialized right,” (Suson, 2015). Also known as the Geneva Declaration on the rights of the child. They provided the most basic needs in which children must be supplied. It is instructed that they are, they must be fed satisfactorily, be taken care of in the time of sickness, must get an education and must be protected from danger, exploitation and physical abuse (Suson. 2015). Article 4 states that the state must do everything in their power to implement and contain the rights of the child (Children's Rights and Business, 2013).

Child Marriages is referred to children under the age of eighteen (18) years old being married to someone above the age eighteen (18) years old in accordance to Convention on the rights of a child in Article 1 (Children's Rights and Business, 2013). Marriage to a child is in clear violation of the rights of a child. Child marriages do affect both male and female of any race as the child is not fully develop as yet. In Trinidad and Tobago from the year from 1996 to 2016, General Registrar recorded 3,478 child marriages, and almost 98 percent of them are females. Furthermore, the marriage certificates show young girls as 11-12 years old, who were forced to marry men as old as 36, 42 and 56 years old (Baboolal, 2017). According to Baboolal (2017), Trinidad and Tobago are one of eight countries in the world to arrange someone to be married as young as the age 12 years old. As of June 9th, 2017, child marriages were made illegal in the Trinidad and Tobago by the country’s parliament. Now the legal age of marriage is 18 years and over.

Dularie Baboonie Kanhai, was just 9 years old when she got married to a man who 12 years older than her was in 1924. Kanhai who was a worker in the sugar cane field had 10 children and lived in Tacarigua. Dularie Baboonie Kanhai said it was her mother’s father who insists she got married at that tender age of 9 years old. (Rambally Sant, 2016).

Child abuse another right that is violated daily, Children's Rights and Business (2013), states in article 19 that all children must be protected from neglect and abuse and the state must protect children from any maltreatment. There are social programs to help avoid such treatments and abuse. According to Dowlat (2018), for the past 3 years, the child Authority of Trinidad and Tobago has 16,000 cases of child abuse currently pursuing to solve. However, the figure of 16,000 is just 25 percent of calls received by the authority. The data only provides a minor analysis of cases brought to the attention of the child authority for the need to protect and care for children. As reported, there are 398 cases each month and this is just an average number given. Dowlat (2018), reports that the main types of abuse are neglect which is first, physical and sexual abuse given in this order by the director of the authority Safiya Noel.

In February of 2018, the Child authority rescued a 14-year boy with special needs who was kept in a duck coup by his relatives who would verbally and physically abuse him. Child Labor, all children must be protected from work that can threaten their education, health or development, article 32, (Children's Rights and Business 2013). Children working in Trinidad and Tobago are involved in scavenging, begging for their families, agriculture (the most common one), construction and stocking goods. Also, consider as child labor is children working in their family business as street vendors or domestic servants (RefWorld, 2008). Statistics show that working children are between the ages of 5-14 years old, with 4.6 percent begin boys while 2.6 are girls. The execution of child labor law is feeble due to the lack of implementation policy by the government on addressing child labor complaints.

Sexual Abuse, the state must protect every child from sexual abuse and exploration, which includes pornography and prostitution article 34 (Children's Rights and Business, 2013). According to Dowlat (2018), there has been an increase in sexual activities in Trinidad and Tobago against children, with a report of 926 serious cases for the year of 2018 and there is an average of three reports daily. In 2017 there 548 reports and in 2018 a total of 926, which was increased by 79 percent from the previous year. It is also reported that 353 matters are currently in the court of law.

These statistics were given by the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service, the Child Protection Unit. On February 2018, a 13-year-old female was sent to a girl for home after a video appeared on Facebook, in which she claims that her mother forces her into prostitution. The mother of the 13-year-old admitted that she forces other young girls into the sex trade, the reason for this sexual exploitation on young girls is to receive money to send for her boyfriend who is in jail (Moore 2018).

According to Shasta Country (n.d.), the impact of child rights violation/abuse can have a long-term effect on children and their development. The effects of any type of violation against a child can be severe. When children are exposed to violence or abuse their childhood is no longer productive, safe or healthy.

Firstly, children can have psychological effects. As the brain of a child develops, studies have shown that the brain response to abusive experiences in a negative way. The development of the brain can be linked directly to the quantity and quality of these experiences. When the needs of a child are meet from early childhood it generates emotional and security stability that is healthy for the brain. If these needs are not being met it creates stress to the brain making it less adaptive and more reactive, meaning the child may always act as if danger is present in their surroundings (Shasta County, n.d.).

Children who are exposed to abuse or violence, if it is left unattended or ignored, they are at risk for behavioral and emotional problems in their future. As a result of abuse, they may have difficulties expressing their feelings and emotions. Psychological effects on a child mental health can cause depression, dissociation (feeling a disconnect from sensory experiences), anxiety, flashbacks, difficulty in sleeping and hypervigilance (post-traumatic stress).

Secondly, abuse can have low self-esteem. Nayler (2016), states that self-esteem is the general opinion of how an individual looks at themselves. They can rate either negative or positive. Self-esteem is developed for as early as childhood, where trust, love, and security are a foundation to progress in life. Children who are abused develop a sense of low self-worth, which was instilled in them for their abuser, physically or emotionally. Self- Esteem is a significant issue that an abused child good through every day. Children feel, helplessness, shame, incompetence, and impotence, rejected and lonely as a result of being abuse (Havoca, 2014). As children enter into adulthood there is a high possibility, these feeling of low self-esteem is still present if not treated correctly. Blaming oneself for abuse is a very common factor that helps manifest low self-esteem. Havoca (2014), children are often told by their abuser that it is their fault and they (the child) made them do it. Name calling, insults, the child constantly being put down also attacks child self-esteem forcing it to be lower. As the message of being worthless is internalized, in and replays in their minds it reinforces negative feelings which could result in destructive behaviors or depression.

Lastly, children who are abused do the act of self-injury. Self-injury is the direct and deliberate destruction to the body causing damage to the tissue, which means they physically hurt oneself. Self-injury is a sign of the child being emotionally stress. This act is done without the intent of suicide. This can stem from sexual, physical, emotional and neglect abuse (Galper, 2017). The behavior can be seen in children who are mistreated under the age of 18. According to Galpher (2017), children who are abuse most likely grow into adulthood with the same intentions if they are treated and counsel abuse their abuse. Self-injury common forms are cutting, scratching the skin and burning oneself. Most person who engages in this act is sometimes diagnosed with anxiety or mood disorder of being abused. Reports have stated that persons who self-injure, does it because they need to cope, express their pain or feel something because they are numb and needs a way to releases stress. It is also mentioned that the person who self-injures often hide their scars burns and cuts because they do not want any added attention (Cannon, 2017). Some signs what is common in self-injure that you can look for in the child is, they loathe and feels worthless of oneself. They cannot explain how they got burn, cut or buries on their legs, arms or stomach area. They are withdrawn from friends and family and frequently wears bandages. It is very important to look out for the sign especially if the child is being abused or was abused.

Abuse, exploitation, violence and neglect children can be subjected to it anywhere at any time. Abuse of any type can happen at home or in an environment that is not school. There are children sitting in an early childhood classroom and they are victims of psychical, emotional or sexual abuse that needs our help. The situation must not be ignored, the child must get help, which is why awareness must be brought to the children and their parents. As a practitioner, it is one of our duty to protect each child in our classroom. To tackle any problem of abuse we must be mentally and educationally equipped on the convention of child rights to fully help and secure a child’s life. Article 6 states that all children has the right to life and the state is obligated to ensure the child’s development and survival (Children's Rights and Business, 2013).

As early years practitioners, we can demonstrate each right in the education setting by, teaching every child about all their rights. In the classroom children are exposed to learning, play and reading this way they can understand their rights by the practitioner incorporating each right as either dramatic play storytelling or hanging charts in the classroom. Through their activity’s children can learn and beware as well as the parent who is visiting in the classroom.

Classroom Workshops can also be used to teach and reinforce parents on how to manage and handle their children with the use of abusing them in any way. In this workshop parents are will understand there are other solutions and techniques to manage children. It is important to teach and educate parents to know there are different ways to discipline. One way to help parents learn is to have the parent’s role play and try and see through the eyes of the child, as parents act out each right of the child. Parents will be encouraged to further to obtain more knowledge about their children’s rights.

As a practitioner, all children in the classroom should participate and be encouraged to do so as well. Within the classroom, children must know that adults must respect their rights given to them. Children during participation are given a chance to freely express and their views are important. Most importantly, being a respectful role model with integrity and dignity in the classroom for each and every child that comes into the class. Parents also ought to treat their children the same way. Also ensuring children are free from abuse inside and out of the classroom.

Enclosing, children need to be protected from any abuse, labor or sexual exploitation. Children should be able to play, sing and dance have fun without their rights being violated by an adult or a trusted person. Children are vulnerable which is why the convention on the rights of a child clearly states all that is need to enforce how each child should be protected. When children have their rights protected and not violated, they can lead a healthy and stress less life rather than be subjected to a life of pain and abuse. Every boy and girl are unique and is value as important and should be respected as a human being just as adults are. Children have a right to listen to about his or her concerns and their opinions matters. When we educate and understand the rights of a child we can better protect our children more effectively. As article 13 states children as he right to freely express themselves and gain information and knowledge regardless of any limits.