KOTA KINABALU: Sabah ranks third nationwide in child abuse cases as of 2022, says Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri.
The Women, Family and Community Development Minister said there could be various factors contributing to this, including a lack of awareness among the community and empathy among the authorities in charge of these cases.
“The Welfare Department recorded a total of 6,781 cases involving child abuse and neglect including physical, sexual and emotional abuse. Out of these, Sabah had 703 cases,” she said.
She said this when officiating a town hall session and launching the Child Placement Management Guidebook for foster parents here, Saturday (March 11).
Nancy said those involved in child care and protection services should play a bigger role in ensuring that children are taken care of properly.
“I urge that all involved in this industry, especially those dealing with child neglect and abuse cases, have high empathy and stay strong when facing challenges in their jobs,” she said.
“I also hope you find support among each other. But nevertheless, we are here to support you,” she added.
To improve the quality of care and services for children of neglect and abuse, the department has taken several initiatives including adding manpower and coming up with a mode updated and better guidebook for foster parents, said Nancy.
The new guidebook, she said, was created to ensure that foster care procedures were conducted well and as suitably as possible.
It also acts as a psychological measuring tool that provides scientific data about a person in terms of his thoughts, emotions and actions, she said.
Nancy said this can help them to find the most suitable foster or adoptive families for each child involved.
Later in a press conference after the launch, she said the department is aware of the unique and different problems faced by the authorities in Sabah, especially with regards to the presence of street and stateless children.
“That is why, we have different approaches here and are working on addressing this issue, one step at a time. It is an ongoing process,” she said.
