Child Abandonment Is A Global Tragedy

 

 Child abandonment means the act of relinguishing total responsibility, interests, and claims over one's own child by a parent, with the intent of having nothing at all to do with that child permanently. According to UNICEF, abandoned children are those deprived of their family in accordance with Article 20 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, these are the children who are temporarily or permanently deprived of their family environment in connection with the death of parents, because parents refuse them, or due to relocation, or because of any other factor. Child abandonment is a major issue affecting children from all parts of the world. What are the causes of child abandonment? They are as follows:

1. Poverty and economic hardship cause child abandonment above every other factor that causes it. Due to lack of food, access to inclusive education, jobs, and medical delivery facilities, many parents abandon their children, especially in the poverty-stricken developing countries of the world.

2. A child can be abandoned by parents due to shame and social stigma. For example, children born by parents when they were teenagers, adolescents or youths before marriage may be abandoned because the new partner (husband or wife) does not want the child born by that partner outside the marriage. Most times, the concerned partner will accept to do so to save the relationship. Not only that, almost all partners abandon children with physical disabilities because they see them as great liabilities. They are also always ashamed to identify with them publicly. When parents give birth to imbeciles, they abandon them to avoid shame and social stigma. In some cases, they kill them outrightly. I have seen parents who killed their imbecile children!

3. Wars, conflicts and displacements are contributory factors to child abandonment. Natural disasters such as Tsunamis lead to child abandonment too.

4. Divorce or separation of biological parents is a major cause of child abandonment everywhere in the world.

5. High birth rates can also lead to child abandonment. Parents who have many children may easily abandon one or two children if they are indigent and unable to take care of them. 

6. Lack of residential accommodation leads to child abandonment too. 

Child abandonment is a major challenge in most countries of the world, including the develped ones. The spate of child abandonment is commonplace in sub-Saharan African countries, Mexico, Venezuela, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, Peru, Columbia, South Africa, Lebanon, Russia, Romania, USA, and others. UNICEF reported that an estimated 153 million children worldwide are orphans, with another 168 million child labourers. It reported further that almost 5, 700 children become orphans daily due to wars, natural disasters, social stigma and acute lack of medical delivery facilities. Children and youths enter foster care because they have been abused, neglected, or abandoned by their parents, guardians, or caregivers. Every year in USA,  more than 7, 000 children are abandoned. In USA, in 2021, 31 babies were placed in dumpsters, backpacks, or discarded in other locations. Out of the 31, 22 of them were dead. In USA, a federal study showed that at least 22, 000 babies were left in hospitals by parents unwilling or unable to take care of them. Russia has several thousands of abandoned children. India has 31 million orphans, according to UNICEF. It also said that 7, 000 newborn babies worldwide die daily, from causes which we can prevent, if we are willing. An infallible record said that 4.3% of children (0-17 years old) in USA have lost one or both parents due to death. In Africa, Asia, and Latin America, there are millions of abandoned children too. It is as bad as that! Yet, everyday, more and more children are born only to be abused, neglected, subjected to hard labours,  thrown into landfills, abandoned in hospitals, used as child soldiers, and others treated in the most gruesome manners by the same parents through whom they came to the Earth. 

It is important to note, however, that it is truly difficult in some cases for parents to raise a child. That is why they abandon the babies in areas where they feel safe and easy for the public to see them for picking. Many Governments of the world understand that parents do not abandon their babies because of hatred, but  because of financial, health, social reasons, including family dynamics. For example, the Infant Safe Haven Laws in USA were made to prevent babies (infants) from being abandoned at places where they come to harm. With the promulgation of this law, US parents can legally and anonymously abandon their babies. All US States have a version of their own Infant Safe Haven Laws today. The New York's Abandoned Infant Protection Act "allows a parent to abandon a newborn baby up to 30 days old anonymously and without fear of prosecution." At least, this law can stop the parent from the dastardly act of killing the unwanted child. 

How does child abandonment affect the life of the child? The effects of child abandonment on the child are  multifaceted. 

1. Abandoned children do not have self-esteem. They suffer from emotional trauma, neglect, abuse, and anxiety.

2. The abandoned children do not feed well. They suffer from malnutrition which consequently lead to poor health, increased vulnerability, and death.

3. Abandoned children are exposed to danger, exploitation, including child labours, forced labours, trafficking and abuse.

4. They have no access to inclusive education and healthcare delivery facilities. They experience cognitive and educational delays.

What are the preventive measures against child abandonment? They are as follows:

1. Poverty is the major cause of child abandonment. Therefore, addressing the issue of child abandonment cannot be possible without eradicating poverty and privations from the society. Governments should work in cohesion with international organizations to mitigate poverty by providing job opportunities, healthcare delivery facilities, and inclusive education for the society.

2. Social awareness creation is necessary  to show that nothing is wrong in accepting the hand of a partner who had a child earlier in marriage. Not only that, parents of disabled children should not be stigmatized or denied marriage proposals because of the physical deformities of their children.

3. Governments across the world should strengthen protection systems, including enactment of proactive laws, policies and social services to summarily prevent child abandonment at all cost not matter whose ox is gored.

If holistic approach is not taken by the Governments and international organizations of the world against the menace of child abandonment and its attendant consequences, child abandonment will still persist indefinirely and millions of infants and children will still be dying. 

Please, share with your friends and loved ones. Thank you very much.