Conference 'breaks silence' on child abuse.

By Rana Sweis, Star Staff Writer A conference on child abuse was held this week in Amman under the patronage of Her Majesty Queen Rania, with the participation of the International Society for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect (ISPCAN) and other organizations. The conference brought together experts, medics and other participants from many different countries to discuss ways in combating this phenomenon. "There is no set of definitions of child abuse and neglect that is accepted by all countries," said Director of ISPCAN Barbara Bonner. "It is not only a medical problem but a social, mental and other dilemmas," Bonner, the professor of Pediatrics, added in her presentation.Representatives of the Jordanian Society for Protection of Victims of Domestic Violence, the National Council for Family Affairs, the National Center for Human Rights, the Jordan River Foundation, the Public Security department, UNICEF and the World Health Organization spoke about the importance of working together to end violence against children and to break the silence. Prior to the three-day forum, a press conference was held in which Jordan's government spokesperson and the conference's Higher Committee Chairperson Asma Khader emphasized media's role in spreading awareness and breaking the silence. It was the first time in ISPCAN's history that an Arab regional conference against child abuse took place. "The media can be a key source of enlightenment and building positive public opinion," said Khader. The ISPCAN, founded in 1977, is the only multidisciplinary international organization that brings together a worldwide cross-section of committed professionals to work towards the prevention and treatment of child abuse, neglect and exploitation globally.ISPCAN's aim is to prevent physical abuse, sexual abuse, neglect, street children, child fatalities, child prostitution, children of war, emotional abuse and child labor.The conference, which witnessed the participation of delegates from 17 Arab countries, as well as Iran, Sweden, Canada and the US, aimed at establishing ways to deal with child abuse based on scientific standards--and creating the Arab Network for professionals in order to prevent and protect children from abuse. The first question that was raised during the speakers' presentations was the proof if child abuse does exist in Jordan and in Arab countries. "There's a big number of abused victim cases that exist in society and those that are in secrecy," said Hani Jahshan of the National Institute for Forensic Medicine. He also gave statistics indicating the sharp rise in abuse cases, which attributed to better awareness and more complaints on the part of the victims. According to statistics presented by Jahshan, there have been 437 cases of child abuse reported in 1998; 522 in 1999; 613 in 2000; 442 in 2001; 533 in 2002; and 560 in 2003. "Studies prove that no village is immune to child abuse, the risk factor exists all over but the cases are not all reported," Jahshan added. Other sessions in the conference included specialized issues in the area of child prevention, and another meeting that included "Primary, Secondary and Tertiary Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect." Also on February 26, there will be organized visits to the Department of Public Security and another to the Jordan River Foundation/Dar Al Aman.

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