How to Reduce Child Abuse

For the past five years, child abuse cases in Malaysia have been increasing. According to the statistics from the Social Welfare Department, there were 2780 child abuse cases in 2008 and this number have been increasing sharply recently. Normally child abuse case happen due to the factors of financial, relationship and mental health problem. Basically, child abuse will bring a lot of negative effects to the victims such as abused children living with fear, self-blaming and feeling weak. Hence, parents, school authorities and government should play an important role in order to help to reduce child abuse problem.

First and foremost, parents should learn how to be a good parent through the parental training program in order to help to reduce child abuse problem. Through this program, parents can learn the skills to communicate with children such as listen to the children what he or she concerned, do not simply judge children, and do not scold them with reasonless. As we know that, a good communication can improve the parental relationship and create a peaceful family environment. Parents can also improve their ability to cope their stress derived by children, work and even financial problem. Parents can learn a lot of methods to release stress and control their emotional such as exercise, sing and so on. Therefore, parents can help to reduce child abuse problem through parental training program.

Secondly, school authorities should set up some programs or workshops in order to help to reduce child abuse problem. School authorities should organize some sharing session program with their students in order to know more about their family backgrounds. Besides, school authorities should always counseling the students who are a bit “different” from others because no one will know what is happening to them, perhaps is abuse problem. By doing so, at least the school authorities may assist the students, for examples, talk to the parents or proceed with police report.