Friday, November 16, 2007 Speak out: Spare children from violence By Dr. Leny G. Ocasiones Convenor Anti-child Pornography Alliance (Acpa-Cebu)
I HAVE followed with much interest and concern the story of the eight-year-old girl allegedly abducted by the military in Barangay Mag-alwa, Tuburan.
The story has disturbed me not only because I advocate for women and children's rights but because I did an intensive study on the impact of armed conflict on women.
My findings reveal grave and profound impact of armed conflict on the lives of women as it not only caused breakdown of their social relations and economic activities but it also caused post-traumatic stress disorder that kept them awake at night even years after an experience related to the armed conflict.
Some also experienced nervous breakdown as well as loss of self-esteem.
The women I interviewed were adult and had family support in one way or another.
I cannot imagine how the eight-year-old girl must be feeling right now if her parents are not around and the military "visited" her in her school and uprooted her from her current social network.
In such situations, almost all children suffer.
The traumatic effects of exposure to violence and significant loss, "trapped within their trauma and grief, surrounded by reminders of what happened ...their minds…a landscape of mental craters and destruction." (Dyregrov & Raundalen, 1996)
Early and sustained care and psychological support for such children are essential, to enable them to express their feelings, understand and process the traumatic events that they have ndergone, and begin to have hope in the future--–and in adults--–again (Fisher, 2002).
I am therefore making an appeal to our military men.
If you have to fight the New People's Army, do so but please observe strictly human rights principles especially those that govern our children.
They are not part of the war.
They should be spared from the war.
Eleven-year-old Mariannet Amper of Davao City committed suicide when her rights, specifically to food and education were not fulfilled by the State.
Let us not allow this to continue to happen to our children who, despite the difficulties and hardships they are facing, are struggling to survive just like the brave eight-year-old girl from Tuburan.
