NCJ Number
217731
Date Published
July 2006
Length
13 pages
Annotation
This article describes the Philippines’ comprehensive and integrated approach to the protection of children from maltreatment.
Abstract
The holistic approach, developed by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), the Council for the Welfare of Children (CWC), and other agencies, focuses on the prevention and early detection of child maltreatment as well as on the recovery, rehabilitation, and after-care of maltreated and abused children. The approach is part of the Philippine National Strategic Framework for Plan Development for Children (Child 21) and is based on the rights-based approach of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. Child abuse and maltreatment in the Philippines is defined and the DSWD is described, including its vision and mission, goals, functions, and its structure. Next, the author considers the roles and responsibilities of the DSWD in relation to domestic violence and child maltreatment, which falls into the areas of prevention, early detection and intervention, recovery and rehabilitation, and after-care services, which include educational assistance, family counseling, and spiritual services. In order for the DSWD approach to work successfully, the DSWD must work in partnership with other agencies, organizations, and the community. Toward this end, several partnerships have been established and are described, such as the Local Councils for the Welfare of Children, Youth Organizations, and Parent Teacher Associations. The author identifies the many lessons learned in the development of the comprehensive program of managing child maltreatment. These lessons include the observation that child maltreatment should always be viewed in the context of the child’s family and community; that the foremost objectives for prevention of child maltreatment are to reduce risks and vulnerabilities; and that child abuse is exacerbated by drug abuse and other social problems. Future prospects for the handling of child maltreatment in the Philippines are discussed, such as the development of a poverty alleviation program in the poorest provinces. Figure