Child maltreatment is a global public health problem with serious lifelong consequences on the individual child and ultimately society. It knows no boundaries cutting across race, class, religion and cultures. Millions of children around the world are affected by this scourge every year. Child Maltreatment includes all types of abuse and neglect of a child under the age of 18 by a parent, caregiver, or another person in a custodial role (e.g. clergy, coach, or teacher) (National Center for Injury Prevention and Control Division of Violence Prevention n.d.). In the Caribbean the occurrence of child maltreatment is widespread and alarming. Child Protection refers to the prevention and response to all forms of violence, exploitation and abuse meted out against children - including commercial sexual exploitation, trafficking and child labour (UNICEF 2015). On 20
th November 1989 the United Nations approved the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) as a legally binding universal code for protection of the rights of children regardless of creed, race, gender or ethnicity. The CRC was ratified by one hundred and ninety two (192) nations and is the most widely accepted human rights treaty in history (Gardner 2006). Pursuant to this treaty many nations have enacted laws for child protection in their local legislation and have proceeded to educate the public on the issue. The purposes of this book include:
- provide awareness and knowledge of the prevalent and horrendous situation of child maltreatment in the Caribbean, and the dire need for remedial action;
- provide greater focus on the need for provision of help for victims of child maltreatment;
- break the silence of faith - based organizations on the issue of child maltreatment;
- encourage secular and faith-based organizations to take action to safeguard the children in their institutions and communities in which they are located;
- preclude the occurrence of any form of child maltreatment within organizations or institutions such as churches and other faith-based organizations, schools, Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) Centres, sporting organizations, youth clubs, youth camps, dance groups, children's homes and all other such institutions in the Caribbean
