Children’s rights: The need for care, safety and protection
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Authors
Omarjee, Nadira
Taliep, Naiema
Morkel, Jade
James, Seneca
Henning , Tiffany
Issue Date
2023
Type
Article
Language
en
Keywords
children’s rights , care , safety , protection , gangsterism , vulnerability; , impoverishment
Alternative Title
Abstract
This paper aims to highlight the push factors leading to children’s vulnerabilities especially in historically
impoverished communities in post-apartheid South Africa (SA). These push factors are hangovers that Black1
children continue to experience in their daily lives because of the ongoing impact of poverty and family
behavioural patterns. Furthermore, the paper highlights how socially constructed violence is perpetuated in the
form of gangsterism when factors such as unemployment, mental health issues and lack of services contribute
to a lack of care, safety and protection of children, alluding to the State’s failure to provide basic services in
impoverished communities. The lack of access to services coupled with the need to protect the rights of children
promulgated in the UN Declaration of the Rights of the Child highlight how the State is directly implicated in the
neglect of SA children’s wellbeing. Data collection included focus group discussions and semi-structured
interviews with adult community members from two South African communities, exploring perceptions and
experiences of everyday violence. Collaborative thematic analyses was used for analyses. Core themes that
emerged centre on perceptions on the various dynamics within the family system that ruptures the family
system and the various pull factors that attracts children to other replacement family systems. These factors
are discussed under sub-themes.
Description
Citation
Omarjee, N., Taliep, N., Morkel, J. M., James, S. A., & Henning, T. J. (2023). Children’s rights: The need for care, safety and protection. Child Abuse Research in South Africa, 24(1), 56-71.
Publisher
Sabinet
License
Journal
Volume
Issue
PubMed ID
DOI
ISSN
1562-1383