Alarming: Child abuse on the rise, says DSWD

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) counted 2,147 cases of child abuse in the first quarter of this year, more than one-fourth of which was sexual in nature. 

How alarming.

The figure was nearly half of the total 4,374 child abuse cases reported in the entire year of 2015, Inquirer reports.

In a statement released last week, Social Welfare Secretary Judy Taguiwalo called for greater vigilance against child abuse. Children have rights that should be respected, she said. 

Most of the victims suffered sexual abuse, with 539 cases. This included incidents of violent sexual assault, sexual abuse and inappropriate touching. 

Neglect came at a close second, with 514 cases. 

Other child abuse cases were abandonment (487 cases); sexual exploitation (233 cases); trafficking (214 cases); physical abuse (83 cases); illegal recruitment (47 cases) and child labor (13 cases). 

Taguiwalo said that the agency is intensifying its programs to give children the protection they need. 

“These include information dissemination against child abuse and implementation of psychosocial interventions geared toward the recovery, healing and reintegration of victims-survivors,” she said. 

She also encouraged the public to take a more proactive approach in reporting cases of child abuse. Merely posting about the incident on social media is not enough, she emphasized. 



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