The situation of children and youth at risk is manifested in various forms, the most common situations of physical abuse and psychological health problems, neglect, sexual abuse, parental responsibility and school dropout. Children under five are suffering most from the attacks on their well-being, followed by a band of six to 11 years. In most cases, children are victims of their own family.
(...) In the Azores, this reality must be considered. Furthering the problem, we are led to a paradox: 13 years after the proclamation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which definitely puts the child as having rights, it has never been wider policies to protect children. Therefore, the current situation of children, cited above, seems to be due mainly to the deep inequality in contemporary society, with emphasis on the situations of material deprivation and school that affect large segments of the population, providing, within families , land structural risk of mistreatment in childhood, especially on the major shortcomings of basic care.
Thus, the resolution of the paradox may lie in adopting economic policies and effective social transformation and change social realities that promote exclusion. In Portugal, since 1990 that have been working towards the implementation of policies at various levels who value the status of children and adolescents. Since that free health care in childhood and adolescence, extends to the pediatric health centers and hospitals, to the effective development of a network of public institutions for preschool education, while establishing the mechanisms to combat underachievement and school dropout.
(...) In the Azores, the approach to the issue of children and youth at risk marker is on the one hand, national legislation and, secondly, the implementation of these decisions on the ground with the regulations and adjustments will need to verify that there is a protection effective, and, not least so that they prevent the timely appearance of contexts vulnerable to those situations.
(...) To prevent the emergence of land structural risk, when:
• If you decide to school integration of children and youth with special needs and challenges teachers with expertise in the area;
• If endows the framework of school psychologists (soon to be 46);
• If vaccinated children;
• If you create, unique initiative in the country, the report Oral Health for Children and the Regional Oral Health;
• If underpins the debate on the subject and the training of educators, teachers, health professionals, social workers, psychologists, sociologists, law enforcement officials, judges, etc...
(...) Speaking a little more about the phase of the signal, it must be with the school space as the privileged to do so, given that every child goes to school and there are many hours. Thus, educators must be aware of the observation of behaviors of children and young people, and should be given training to enable the observation of behavior, detecting any signs of abuse.
Moreover, it is essential that the school institution is organized to offer opportunities and contexts for their students unload their tensions, to confide, be themselves without fear of criticism. We need to establish a trust relationship they entres and education community, so that they feel they can count on the school institution to everything they need, including accusations of mistreatment to which they are subject, with particular reference for sexual abuse, the subject of difficult approach, as is well known to us all.
(...) Often, the referral of the child or young person is at risk for institutionalization in shelters or temporary homes. Currently, there are, throughout the Region of the Azores, about 580 children and young institutionalized. To respond to this reality, the policy of Government has been marked by:
• Building and / or create new equipment, providing all the islands (except the island of Corvo), a reception center or a home, preventing children from leaving their own island;
• Remodeling the large homes for young people - known for boarding, replacing them with equipment having the host family for 10/12 users, which provides a more human, more customized education and therefore better personal development and well-being for the young;
• All children and young people with disabilities, have specific sites, no longer need to stay locked at home in sub-human conditions;
The routines of life of children and young people promote their development from the point of view emotional, social, motor, intellectual and emotional level. So, what is needed is to define policies and which, on an ongoing basis to improve on these routines in the day-to-day life, as has been done by governments the responsibility of the Socialist Party / Azores.
The multidimensionality of the area requires a combination of various efforts in a speech which must be increasingly regionalized. Therefore, the articulation between the authority and all social organizations working in the area, with particular reference to Local Authorities, Private Institutions of Social Solidarity, non-governmental organizations, not to mention his own family, it is essential that the designs and develop an effective plan of action that would prevent and combat situations of children and young people in danger.
Horta, Session Room, September 19, 2003
Regional Socialist Party Maria Natividade Luz
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