Child Abuse Prevention’s day

On November 16, SSF organized a World Child Abuse Prevention’s day at its compound with 45
children (13 boys) who came from several public schools such as Sokha
Phally high school, Tiruom Ket high school and Phnom Cheal high school
participated. Those participants are all children benefited through SSF
Programs and their friends. Our beneficiary children were offered to invite their
friends to participate the training as we would like to know how they build
relationship with their classmates while they study at state schools. SSF
intended to do so after receiving information from our children that children
from poor families and remote rural areas are always isolated from their
classmates when they came to study at higher level in the provincial town.
With the result, some of our sponsored children have invited their classmates
for whom that are friendly to them without discrimination between city and
peasant. One girl, Sokha, from extreme poor, domestic violence and father
has nerve and mental problems said that this is the first time I came in provincial town in my life.
Everything is very different and strange to me made me afraid and horrify. I almost led myself to fail in
my exam to finish secondary school, even I always in my class I ranked at number two or four every
month among my 60 classmates, she added.

Above picture was taken after finishing of our child abuse prevention’s day in front of our office.

Otherwise, training program was started from 7:30 AM and finished at 16:30PM with the purpose is to
“invite children and adult together participating in prevention of child abuse”. Though this
training was successful completed with focusing on the above topic but it was a little changed basing
on the knowledge and experience of those participated children. SSF really surprised when we
conducted a pre-test prior training program started and we found that 95% of participated children
didn’t know or understand about the meaning of words and terms of Child, Child rights, Child
Responsibilities, domestic violence and abuse while other 5% are not sure or familiar with those words
and their terms. Most participants could give us proper answer only physical violence or abuse such
as hit, beat and etc. when we asked them about domestic violence. They daily experience with their
parents or neighbor act that made them easily to see things happen in the aliveness of absolute poor
living with starvation, low education and etc.

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Participated children said this is the first
time in their life that they had opportunity
to attend such training. To make sure
they aware about, all participants were
divided into three groups and a group
had group members from ten to consider
on those words, its terms definitions.
Separating them into small groups and
offer them an opportunity to
learn/discuss together about their
perceptions regarding children, child
rights, child responsibilities, domestic
violence and child abuse in Cambodia
specially within their community recently
was big deal as we can assist them learn
to think.

Participated children discussed and determined definition and terms of

Child Abuse
At the end of group discussion, Representative presented their group results to participants and every
participant was able to ask what they want to learn from the other group presentations and if their
representative couldn’t answer the questions, we also advised them getting another group member to
express their perception or assist in answering. Through their presentations and answer, we found
that even forming them into group and discussion and because they didn’t experience in attending
workshop or other trainings then they still learn how to prepare and do everything yet. They needed to
do on and the results are at a basic answer that we had to begin training from the ground first.

To build them strong enough capacity starting from how to attend especial training workshop, those
participants received comprehensive explanation about how to conduct training workshop and what is
the role and responsibilities of participants within the training workshop processes. Other importantly,
the terms and definition of child, Child rights, Child Responsibilities, domestic violence and abuse
were trained on and explained carefully below:

1. Child: is a young human being who is not yet an adult or any human has his or her age is
under than 18. A person who is strongly influenced by the ideas and attitudes of a particular time
or person.

2. Child Rights : Child Rights are fundamental freedoms and the inherent rights of all human
beings below the age of 18. These rights apply to every child, irrespective of the child’s,
parent’s/legal guardian’’ race, colour, sex, creed or other status.

The essential message is equality of opportunity. Girls should be given the same opportunities as
boys. All children should have the same rights and should be given the same opportunity to enjoy
an adequate standard of living.

Why are child rights important?

Children are innocent, trusting and full of hope. Their childhood should be happy and loving. Their
lives should mature gradually, as they gain new experiences. But for many children, the reality of
childhood is altogether different. Cambodia rural areas have a much higher infant mortality rate
than urban areas (92 against 65 deaths/1,000 live births/year).

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 Right through history, children have been abused and exploited. They suffer from hunger and
homelessness, work in harmful conditions, high infant mortality, deficient health care and limited
opportunities for basic education. A child need not live such a life. Childhood can and must be

preserved. Children have the right to survive, develop, be protected and participate in decisions
that impact their lives.

What are the child rights?

At SSF, we focus on the four basic rights of children. On November 14, 1992 the kingdom of
Cambodia ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child with no reservations.
The charter of Child Rights (CRC) is built on the principle that “All Children are born with
fundamental freedoms and all human beings have some inherent rights”. The Charter confers the
following basic rights on all children across the world:

• The right to survival - to life, health, nutrition, name and nationality

• The right to development – to education, care, leisure, recreation
• The right to protection – from exploitation, abuse, neglect
• The right to participation – to expression, information, thought and religion

3. Child Responsibilities:
Only SSF is an organization in Cambodia that aware about responsibilities of the child while most
agencies in the Cambodia speed up their works with training and advocating children about rights
of the child but at the same time they don’t mention about child and his or her responsibilities to his
or her family and parents, community, society and country and etc.

Cambodian parents blamed the country when they couldn’t advise their children or when advised
they don’t listen what their parents talked about and they feedback very fast with my rights I can do
everything as the laws allow even though they don’t know what the exact meaning of the laws are.
Sometimes, their selected ways are very wrong because they don’t understand about their
responsibilities while they serious received a little educating just about rights.

Cambodian children violated their parents when they couldn’t give whatever they need and some
of them are threaten to kill their parents/teachers and asked them don’t patience about their own
way. Teachers concern about and decided advice nothing to the children when they go to study at
school that very distance with a Cambodian meaningful proverb said that teacher is second mother
that can care to those children on behalf of their parents when they go to school.

Above mentions are the core parts of SSF works as we would like to find another best way to talk
and advise all beneficiary children to balance between rights and responsibilities. To make sure
they can balance, during the world day for prevention of child abuse, 45 participated children were
allowed them working as group to discuss about rights and their responsibilities. Now, we observe
that our children are very different from outside children as they are aware about their rights and
responsibilities. They listen to their teachers when they go to school even though their classmates
bother them and their teachers in working hours. They come to consult with SSF colleague about
what they face when they are in school and etc. SSF is really enjoyed with the output we
generated and we will input more ideas and concepts about rights and responsibilities to our
beneficiary children and SSF will use those children as key agent to advocate their classmates.

4. Domestic Violence:
Domestic violence is a pattern of assaultive and coercive behaviors, including physical, sexual,
and psychological attacks, as well as economic coercion that adults or adolescents use against
their intimate partners. Domestic violence is a serious crime which often results in serious injury

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 and even death. In fact, one third of domestic violence assaults involve the use of a weapon and/or
result in serious bodily injury. All most housewives in Cambodia, especially in the countryside
suffer by domestic violence violated by their spouses that our participated children can report us
clearly about the scenario.

5. Child Abuse:
Although growing up can be difficult, most children and young people receive the love and care
they need to develop into healthy, happy young adults. But some children are hurt, neglected and
used by adults or other children. Younger children maybe not be aware that what is happening to
them is abuse.

Abuse can mean different things to different children, and can happen once or many times. During
the workshop we were discuss and supplemented explanation below:

• Physical Abuse
Physical abuse is when children are hurt or injured by parents or other people. Hitting, kicking,
beating with objects, throwing and shaking are all physical abuse, and can cause pain, cuts,
bruising, broken bones and sometimes even death.

‘I haven’t been to school for two days because I’m afraid that people will see the bruises on my
arms in public relations.’

‘A widow mother with two daughters in Kampong Cham Province was punished her first a little
daughter by using long metal nail, one centimeter, hammered sole of the foot within her house
as the mother doesn’t want her to play with neighbors, after her husband had girlfriend and left.
She is serous angry the husband and she punished very cruelty her underage. ’

• Sexual Abuse
Sexual abuse is when children are forced or persuaded into sexual acts or situations by others.
Children might be encouraged to look at pornography, be harassed by sexual suggestions or
comments, be touched sexually or forced to have sex.

‘I thought for a long time that what was happening was OK because Dad said it was a game
that all father played with their sons, a secret game that only the men knew about.’

‘A father with four daughters in Kampong Chhnang Province raped his three daughters until
the first one was five-month pregnancy, second daughter three and the third is one. He
threatened to kill those daughters if they reported these abused rapes to their mother.’

• Emotional Abuse
Emotional Abuse is when children are not given love, approval or acceptance. They may be
constantly criticized, blamed, sworn and shouted at, told that other people are better than they
are and rejected by those they look to for affection.

‘I’m in care and I’m always being moved between foster homes. I feel unloved and unsettled.’

• Neglect
Neglect is when parents or others looking after children do not provide them with proper food,
warmth, shelter, clothing, care and protection.

‘My mum and dad both have drinking problems. Sometimes there’s nothing to eat in the house.
And I’m often left alone to look after my brothers and sisters.’

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