Child Abuse Clinics
Medical
examination of children who have been physically or sexually abused is a task
requiring highly sensitive, specialised handling by specifically trained
personnel. Specialised skills are
required:
(i) to ensure accurate diagnosis of any signs and symptoms of abuse,
(ii) to ensure the appropriate handling of forensic evidence with a view to
possible criminal proceedings and
(iii) most importantly, to minimise the risk of secondary trauma to the child
through the medical examination itself.
There are specialist clinics in many parts of the country, which conduct
examinations and, in some cases, also offer follow-up treatment. Personnel in
some specialist clinics also offer training to generic health care workers to
equip them with the skills they need to assist abused children who come to their
attention.
Coronation Hospital
Paediatric Abuse Clinic
Teddy Bear Clinic
Zamokuhle Child Centre
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Child and Family Welfare Organisations
Countrywide there are 169 nondenominational child and family welfare organisations offering a range of supportive and developmental services for children and families, as well as protective services in cases of child abuse. These organisations work actively with SASPCAN branches where they exist in their areas.
Some smaller child welfare societies may not be equipped to deal with child
protection issues in which case the nearest regional office of the National Council for
Child Welfare could be contacted. For information about the Child and Family Welfare Society nearest to you contact the
SA National Council for Child and Family Welfare:
Tel. 011-339-5741, Fax 011-339-8123, or have a look at the contact
list.
Contact details for the Johannesburg Child
Welfare Society, which is not affiliated to the Council, are: Tel. 011-331-0171,
Fax 011-331-0313, website www.jhbchildwelfare.org.za.
There are many organisations which carry out similar services under the auspices
of religious groups. Enquire about what services exist in your area through the
local office of the Department of Welfare.
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Childline
Childline works collectively to protect
children from all forms of violence and to create a culture of children's rights
in South Africa.
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Social Service Workers
Many of SASPCAN's individual members are social workers and residential child care workers They assist children and families in crisis, and share in the lengthy process of helping children to recover from abuse and empowering families to solve problems which lead to abuse.
Social workers in the service of government departments and family welfare organisations are responsible, where necessary, for action via the children's courts to protect children from abuse, and for ongoing services to these children and their families.
Early childhood development workers, who work with children in home-based programmes or pre-school care centres, are well placed to spot early signs of abuse and refer children for services where necessary, and to play a supportive role for parents who may be struggling to care properly for their children.
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Specialised
Police Services
Police officers form a crucial component of the interdisciplinary child protection team in all cases where criminal proceedings are involved, and also in preventive work. At the local level, specialised management of cases of crime against children is undertaken by officers within 27 local
Child Protection Units, and 14 local Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Branches. There are also specialised individuals responsible for policing of crimes against children in 156 smaller centres across the country.
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Cultural and
Media Workers
Media
workers are proving to be invaluable partners in the struggle to free our
society from child abuse and neglect. On the one hand the help of the media is
indispensable in our efforts to raise awareness of child abuse and to enable
community members to identify abuse and to know where to go for help. But of
perhaps even more significance is the media’s potential for influencing
attitudes and values, and empowering the community to create an environment
which is safe and nurturing for children. People with skills in art, drama, film
and television are increasingly engaging with child protection workers in
producing “edu-tainment” which helps put across child protection messages in
new and powerful ways. Activities
which have flourished in recent years range from grass-roots initiatives such as
the hard-hitting dramas produced by several local youth groups, to
projects involving the mass media.
Soul
City
Cameron Hanneke International Productions (Pty) Ltd - Chip
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Volunteers
Community
support in the form of donations and active service is needed by most of the
organisations mentioned above. Service volunteers will normally need to be ready
to be involved in a screening process and to work under supervision. They should
also be able to commit themselves to be available on a regular and reliable
basis to assist with whatever aspect of the work they undertake to be involved
in.
Multidisciplinary Child Protection Protocols
The National Comittee on Child Abuse and Neglect (NCCAN), in 1995 identified as a pressing
priority the need for
the different practitioners and structures responsible for helping abused
children and their families to develop protocols for the multidisciplinary
management of child abuse and neglect.
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SASPCAN
