Spotting the signs of women, child abuse
As the public are encouraged to be active participants in the fight to eradicate violence against women and children, it is important that one understands the signs associated with abuse.
POLOKWANE – This year, 16 Days of Activism will be held under the theme ‘Count me in: Together moving a non-violent South Africa forward’ and one of its objectives is to encourage society to acknowledge that violence against women and children is not a government or criminal justice system problem, but a societal problem and that failure to view it as such results in all efforts failing to eradicate it in our communities.
Junior station commander of the Polokwane Police Station, Letago Kgomoeswana, says the main thing to look out for is a change in behaviour. She says that when it comes to abuse involving children, there are two major signs to look out for and the child could be displaying one of these signs or transitioning from one to the other. She says a child will either be very aggressive and will begin acting out. “These are the children on the playground who will take other children’s food or act in a violent way and they are always in trouble.” The other sign is a child becoming severely quiet and introverted. “These are the children who will always be in a corner, they won’t talk and they don’t want to speak out as they are afraid something will happen to them,” she explains.
She says the same can be said for women, they will display the same symptoms or transition between the two. “You will find women will become very quiet or they will be moody. A simple question about a home situation could trigger their emotions.”
Kgomoeswana explains that there are four types of abuse that one can encounter. Physical (hitting, punching and kicking), sexual (sexual harassment, rape, sodomy and molestation) and emotional and psychological (making use of derogatory or vulgar language, saying hurtful things etc). “We encounter all types of abuse but the one we struggle with the most is sexual abuse,” she states.
When it comes to the police assisting with cases of domestic violence, each station is equipped with a Victim Empowerment Programme (VEP) which always has psychologists, social workers and other professionals at hand to make sure that all aspects are taken care of. “In an instance where domestic violence has taken place, we take the child into a room with lots of toys to give them an environment that they’re comfortable in and that is where we begin trauma counselling which is very important.” She says not only are children counselled but parents as well. “There is no use in counselling just one family member if the environment they are going back to will resume the cycle of abuse once again.”
Kgomoeswana stresses that if ever someone bears witness to abuse, they should report it immediately. “Even if it is reported anonymously, you do not know how much help you can give to someone who is being abused by reporting it. You can report abuse to your nearest police station, a family doctor, member or a trusted friend. Report, report, report,” she concluded.
