THE Provincial Social Welfare Development Office (PSWDO) said there were 49 cases of child abuse recorded from January to April this year in Benguet province.

PSWD Officer Juana Banawe said she hopes the number of child abuse cases will decrease or be eradicated. “Imagine if our children are abused, it does not speak good of our society, our prayer is there should be none," she added.

During the first quarter of the year, records show the municipality of Tuba incurred highest number of abuse cases with 15 incidents of sexual abuse followed by La Trinidad with 10, Bokod with seven, Itogon with four, Tublay and Mankayan with three each, Atok and Kapangan each with two cases, Bakun, Buguias and Kibungan each have one case each.

The municipalities of Kabayan and Sablan incurred zero sexual abuse cases.

From the recorded cases of child abuse for this year, 15 incidents were tagged to be acts of physical abuse; eight cases pointed to be acts of lasciviousness; six cases of incest-rape and one emotional abuse.

Banawe said most of the perpetrators of child abuse were either neighbors, strangers, fathers, brother-in-laws, uncles, live-in partner of parents, grandfather, boyfriends, cousins, mothers and teachers with the abuse happening mainly at the victim’s or perpetrators house, school and in some cases, public areas.

Banawe said intervention programs vary according to the cases they receive, all aimed for the victim to become productive.

Intervention program given for child victims is mandated by the Barangay Council for the Protection of Children (BCPC) in coordination with the different social welfare and development units, police offices and other stakeholders to plan the best program.

On status, currently the 49 recorded total of child abuse cases in the province, 23 of which were filed; 11 were amicably settled; 12 were not filed and three remain not indicated.