Helpende Hand marks Child Protection Week in Warner Beach
The National Child Protection Week is observed annually to raise awareness about the rights of children and the importance of protecting them from abuse.
TO OBSERVE National Child Protection Week the Helpende Hand Amanzimtoti branch held a walk in Warner Beach recently.
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This year’s National Child Protection Week was observed from May 29 to June 5. The week is aimed at raising awareness about the rights of children and the importance of protecting them from abuse, neglect, and exploitation. Helpende Hand’s Karen Duyvenstyn said the walk went well, and she was surprised by the turnout. Those walking had been asked to wear white.
“We were not expecting so many people to show up and support this cause. As we walked along the road, some people asked what the walk was all about, and we explained that we were walking for the protection of children,” said Duyvenstyn.
The Amanzimtoti police station also observed the week, emphasising the need to protect children from a frequently underestimated form of abuse, which is verbal abuse. Police spokesperson, Captain Charlene van der Spuy, said while verbal abuse may not leave visible scars, the emotional and psychological wounds it causes can be profound and enduring on children.
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“Verbal abuse includes threatening, yelling, belittling, name, or constant criticism, which undermines a child’s sense of worth and belonging. Repeated exposure to hurtful language can lead to anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, difficulty in forming healthy relationships and long-term emotional dysregulation. Children internalise what they hear; therefore, when negative words are used consistently, they form the core of a child’s self-perception, often carrying these invisible wounds into adulthood,” said Van der Spuy.
She added that effective and respectful communication builds trust, confidence and emotional resilience in children.
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