International Child Abuse Prevention Day is celebrated every April 25th with the aim of promoting children’s rights worldwide and raising awareness in society about the consequences of child abuse.
Child maltreatment is defined as the abuse and neglect of children under 18 years of age. It includes all types of physical or psychological maltreatment, sexual abuse, neglect, and commercial or other exploitation that causes or may cause harm to the child’s health, development, or dignity, or endanger their survival, in the context of a relationship of responsibility, trust, or power. Exposure to intimate partner violence is also sometimes included among the forms of child maltreatment.
Some types of abuse are:
- Physical: any intentional action that causes physical harm to the child, whether visible or not, such as burns, blows, pinches, fractures, among others.
- Psychological: any attitude that causes feelings of disqualification or humiliation in the child.
- By negligence: the non-protection of the child against potential risks and the lack of attention to their basic needs when parents or caregivers are in a position to do so.
- Sexual abuse: the abusive exercise of power by an adult towards a child that implies the sexual satisfaction of the person who exercises it to the detriment and without consideration of the minor’s will.
- Another way of subjecting children to situations of violence is when they witness mistreatment or sexual abuse towards third parties. It is considered that the consequences are similar to those experienced by children who experience the situation of violence directly.
Where to report cases of child abuse
It is essential to go to the institutions that protect children’s rights to end the cycle of violence of which they may be victims. To do this, it is important to be attentive to the indicators, identify them and report them.
Within the judicial sphere, people who have knowledge of or are witnesses to any act that violates the rights of children and adolescents —whether physical, psychological and/or verbal abuse, abandonment or neglect— can file their complaint at the Juvenile Court, Civil and Welfare Secretariats A and B, located at Pelagio B. Luna No. 336, 2nd floor and basement; in the Gender Violence and Comprehensive Protection of Minors Courts No. 1 and 2, which operate in the basement of the central building of the Superior Court of Justice, located at Joaquín V. González No. 77; as well as in the Public Defender’s Office, located at San Martín 117, 3rd floor, Federation building.
The Undersecretariat for Family, Childhood and Adolescence has the 102 line, a listening and containment line for children and adolescents, where complaints can be made and legal advice, information and referral of cases that require it are also provided.
