Protection from Abuse and Neglect, a personal experience

Essay by Jason DobrUniversity, Bachelor'sA+, November 1996

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I have recently been elected in a new statewide project in Minnesota to create and provide leadership in a small scale voluntary association for children . The focus of the small scale association is based on the United Nations General Assembly that adopted a Convention on the rights of the Child. It is a program to provide information and knowledge on the substantive right for "Protection from abuse and neglect" designed specifically for children. The right states that " the State shall protect the child from all forms of maltreatment by parents or others responsible for the care of the child and establish appropriate social programs for the prevention of abuse and the treatment of victim".

The purpose of the new state-wide small scale association is to inform children through first-hand knowledge and example on the protection from abuse and neglect. The substantive right is very important for children to know and understand in case they, or someone they know is ever involved in an abusive situation.

The small scale association is limited to children so they can feel free to express their experiences and ask questions openly to others without having to worry about adult supervision. This may interest children to comment on situations and on general conversation that they normally would be scared to ask their parents. I feel that this is relevant to children in today's society because these situations of abuse and neglect occur in many households, and children either do not know their rights or fail to take action to them.

The kinds of topics and issues discussed in the association and in connection with children's rights will vary according to importance. The beginning stages of the meetings will consist of examples and definitions of what abuse and neglect constitute. We will then as...