JEDDAH, 9 May 2004 — Child abuse is making headlines in the Kingdom’s more open media climate, ending decades of silence surrounding the issue. But for the professionals who deal with child abuse on a daily basis, it remains intensely delicate. Hospitals are the first and in many cases the only port of call, and they are recording an increase in admissions, according to Dr. Huda Al-Hunaitti, consultant pediatrician at the Maternity & Children’s Hospital in Jeddah.
In many instances, it is the repeated admission of children with a range of complaints that alerts doctors to the possibility that physical or emotional abuse is involved. As often as not, parents are to blame.
When hospital staff suspect abuse, they initiate a thorough clinical examination and a review of the child’s social history. Factors like family separation, poverty, drug abuse, and fathers with multiple wives and many children are typical warning signs. When there is clear evidence of physical abuse, the police and the Social Affairs Department are informed.
“Sometimes we hold the child at the hospital until the family problem is resolved, such as in the case of divorce and granting custody to the appropriate parent,” Dr. Al-Hunaitti said.
The hospital also asks parents to sign a pledge not to harm the child again or face the consequences, as well as arranging for follow-up visits by the hospital and a social worker.
In theory the abused child could stay on at the hospital for up to a month, but this is not an ideal solution. “There are limited beds, and a hospital is not the right environment to keep a child confined for a month. There should be a place for these kids,” said Fadia Enani, director of social services department at the Maternity & Children’s Hospital.
Privacy is an important factor in dealing with child abuse especially where there is a suspicion that the abuse is sexual. Such cases must be treated discreetly — anyone wanting to report sexual abuse must feel safe from public exposure.
Enani recalls a mother “who sought the hospital’s help because the father was sexually abusing his two teenage daughters.” The police and Social Affairs Department immediately brought charges against the father, took the girls from him and gave sole custody to the mother and made arrangements for financial support and follow-up psychiatric treatment for the girls.
In most cases of child sexual abuse around the world, a family member is the culprit. Investigating doctors inevitably encounter resistance, denial and interference by the family. “Sometimes the doctor is threatened, and there is no protection for them and their decisions are difficult to enforce,” Enani said.
The media sometimes makes matters worse. “The way our media handles child abuse — in a sensational manner and without consideration for children’s privacy and rights — is counterproductive,” she said.
That is why Enani and others are calling for a proper mechanism that enables professionals to deal directly and promptly with child abuse in a way that protects all those involved.
Enani recommends having social workers at police stations or a separate department to deal with child abuse and domestic violence.
Recently, the Ministry of Social Affairs announced it will set up an agency for the protection of children and women who are physically, psychologically and sexually abused.
The agency is to study the social problems contributing to abuse, coordinate the efforts of the various departments and intervene to protect victims of abuse.
