what is a child

    Cards (15)

    • Child
      Any human being under the age of 18 unless the relevant national law recognizes an earlier age of majority
    • Definition of a child in selected African states
      • Botswana: Child means any person who is below the age of 18 years
      • Malawi: Child means a person below the age of 16 years
      • Swaziland: Child considered below 16, 15, 16-21, 19, 18 years depending on the act
      • South Africa: Child means a person under the age of 18 years
      • Zambia: Child means a person who is below the age of eighteen years
      • Libya: Child is a person under 16 years
      • Zimbabwe: Child is every boy and girl under the age of 18 years
    • Definition of a child in Namibia
      • Child Care and Protection Act defines a child as any person who has not yet attained the age of 18 years
      • Age of Majority Act previously defined majority at 21 years but this has been repealed
    • Children
      • Have physical or material needs like water, food, clothes, shelter
      • Have emotional or psychological needs like love and attention
      • Have cognitive needs for learning and development
      • Have social, cultural and spiritual needs like a sense of belonging
    • Risk factors children face
      • Poverty, inadequate food/nutrition, lack of clothing
      • Caregiver unemployment
      • Lack of birth certificates/identity documents
      • Stigmatized medical conditions
      • Lack of accommodation, sport/recreation facilities
      • Child labour
      • Loss of parent/caregiver
      • Insufficient adult love, care, support, protection
      • Lack of access to essential services
      • Physical, emotional, sexual abuse, neglect, exploitation
      • Harmful traditional practices
      • Teen pregnancy, early/forced marriage
      • Inadequate/overcrowded shelter
      • Limited access to schooling, dropping out
      • Illness in family
      • Negative peer pressure, poor role models
      • Lack of sense of belonging/identity
      • Natural disasters
      • Alcohol/substance abuse
      • Disability in family
      • Stigma and bullying
      • Political unrest/conflict
      • Crime/violence
      • Lack of awareness of rights
    • Vulnerability
      • The word comes from Latin 'vulnerare' meaning to wound, children who are vulnerable are easily hurt or wounded
      • Vulnerability can be societal (e.g. poverty, violence) or individual (e.g. lack of food, abuse)
    • Situations of children are not constant but change continuously, new risks and protective factors can move a child towards or away from vulnerability
    • Protective factors
      • Enough nutritious food
      • School access for those who can't afford fees
      • Consistent caring adult caregiver
      • Recreational programmes and facilities
      • After-school programmes
      • Safe schools and communities
      • Community action on unemployment and poverty
      • Hygienic washing facilities
      • Peer support groups or clubs
      • Friends
      • Spiritual support
      • Hope for the future
      • Participation in community/family events, sense of belonging
      • Ability in sports, music etc. that brings positive attention
    • Resilience
      • The ability to face, overcome and even be strengthened by difficult experiences
      • Resilience comes from external support (I HAVE), inner strength (I AM), and social/interpersonal skills (I CAN)
    • Sources of resilience
      • I HAVE: People around me I trust and who love me, people who set limits, people who show me how to do things, people who want me to learn, people who help me
      • I AM: Someone who people like and love, happy to help others, respectful of myself and others, willing to be responsible
      • I CAN: Talk to others about fears/problems, find ways to solve problems, control myself, decide when to take action, find someone to help
    • Psychosocial support (PSS)

      • The support provided by one person to another that positively aids that person's emotional and social development
      • It is a continuum of love, care and protection that enhances the cognitive, emotional and spiritual wellbeing of a person and strengthens their social and cultural connectedness
    • Effective PSS enhances individual, family and community competencies and positively influences both the individual and the social environment
    • Social connectedness
      • The (positive) quantity and quality of meaningful and supportive relationships between people
      • Socially connected people have meaningful and trusting relationships and bonds with those around them, including families and communities
    • Ubuntu
      An African concept meaning the essence of being human, encompassing humaneness, gentleness, hospitality, compassion, and the idea that our humanity is bound up in each other's
    • Ubuntu in child protection means that our identity and wellbeing depend on our connections with others, and strengthening these connections builds our capacity to live a full life
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