The latest Nigeria Violence Against Children Survey (NVACS)
has revealed that violence impacts millions of children’s lives every year across
Nigeria, ITRealms reports.
The survey indicated that you cannot help but be shocked by
the huge numbers of children experiencing violence. But sometimes we can get
lost in the statistics. Let’s remember that each statistic represents an
individual child suffering violence – a four year old boy being intentionally
burnt for misbehaving, a 13 year old girl being repeatedly raped by her
neighbour, a seven year old being told again and again – “you are worthless, I
wish you were dead” by their own mother.
These, ITRealms gathered, were
revelations as Nigerian President, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, represented by the Head of Civil Service of the Federation (HOCSF) Mr. Danladi Kifasi launched the Year of Action to End Violence Against Children
today in response to the high rates of violence revealed in the survey,
released last week.
Millions of children suffer violence every year in Nigeria -
approximately 6 out of every 10 children experience some form of physical,
emotional and sexual violence before the age of 18 years, according the survey
carried out by the National Population Commission, with support from United
Nation International Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the US Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention.
Announcing the launch of the year-long campaign to end
violence against children, the President said “This is a historic day. A day
when Nigeria stands up and says to our children - we commit to protecting you
from violence.”
The survey found that one in two children experience
physical violence; one in four girls and one in ten boys experience sexual
violence; and one in six girls and one in five boys experience emotional violence.
The majority of children, ITRealms recalled, do
not tell anyone what has happened to them and fewer than five per cent receive
the help they need to recover.
Cyriacus Nnaji/GEE
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