Children experience first physical violence with male teachers

The Lagos State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Mrs. Lola Akande, has said children are most likely to experience their first incidents of physical violence in the hands of male teachers.

This is just as she said six out of 10 children experienced some form of physical, emotional and sexual violence before the age of 18.

Akande spoke on Monday at a briefing to announce the inauguration of the Lagos State End Violence Against Children campaign in Lagos.

She added that the campaign, which would be inaugurated tomorrow (Wednesday), was the state’s version of the National Agenda To End Violence Against Children inaugurated by President Muhammadu Buhari in September 2015.The commissioner said violence had negative effects on the physical and mental developments of children and could lead to depression, anxiety and susceptibility to contract the Human Immuno- deficiency Virus.

“A survey by the National Population Commission, with the support of the United Nations Children’s Fund indicates that there is prevalence of violence against children in Nigeria. Millions of children suffer violence every year in the country. Approximately six out of every 10 children experience some form of physical, emotional and sexual violence before the age of 18. And for this group of children, over half had their first experience under the age of five.

“It is disheartening that the most common perpetrators of physical violence during childhood years are the parents or adult relatives. Children are most likely to experience first incident of physical violence in the hands of male teachers. Sexual violence is first experienced by girls in the hands of romantic partners, friends, neighbours, classmates and strangers.

“On the other hand, boys’ first experience of sexual violence is most commonly by a classmate or a neighbour, which can occur in the perpetrator’s home, child’s home, at school, at someone else’s home and on the road. In the case of emotional violence, parents, stepparents, uncles, aunts are the most common perpetrators of the first incident,” she said.

In her remarks, a child protection specialist with the UNICEF, Mrs. Roseleen Akinroye, said there was a difference between discipline and violence.

According to her, parents, caregivers and teachers need to be sensitised on the dangers of violence against children.