Violence against children is much more dangerous and has more serious consequences than most people think, warns a world-renowned pediatrician.
"Many parents understand that if they hit their child it is an act of violence. However, very often they do not understand that if they shout at the child, if they blackmail him or threaten him with violence, that this is also a form of violence or sometimes even worse, if they deny the child his love. Science today shows that this violence gets under the skin and affects children throughout their later lives, when they become adults. That's why it's important to protect them from violence today," says pediatrician Nadine Berk Harris.
Children are especially sensitive to the constant activation of the stress response because their bodies and brains are developing. High doses of negative experiences in childhood affect our brain and other organs, the immune system, even our DNA.
"Those with more than four negative experiences are two, point two times more likely to suffer from heart disease and 12 times more likely to commit suicide," adds Harris.
A pediatrician from the USA participated in the UNICEF-Government Conference, which marks the beginning of the second phase of the "Stop the Violence" campaign.
"We must not allow any child to live in fear, especially in their families. 90 percent of violence is never detected, that's why it is especially important not to be silent, to speak up," believes Andre Lis from the EU Delegation in Montenegro.
Experts point to one of the dangers of parenthood.
"The way of parenting, the way we parents are, is essentially passed on generationally. We repeat it, whether we like it or not, no matter how much we want to break that cycle, we repeat the way we grew up," said Radoje Cerović, psychologist and communication specialist.
The Government indicates what their priorities will be.
"The Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare will participate in the creation and functioning of the national children's home for child victims of violence, in which special programs for child victims will be developed in cooperation with relevant institutions until 2020," said Kemal Purišić, Minister of Labor and Social Affairs care.
"We will pay special attention to increasing the number of police officers trained to work with children," said Mevludin Nuhodžić, Minister of Internal Affairs.
Minister of Education Damir Šehović added:
"For school employees to be responsible, to be ready, professional, to react and report suspected violence, abuse and neglect of children."
A pediatrician from the USA points out that the wrong understanding of discipline.
"Violence is not a form of discipline, because discipline is a way to regulate a child's behavior, and violence does not teach the child that," says Herris.
So take care of yourself and your children. Everything that we, as adults, have to deal with, should never be passed on to the youngest.
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