IPOH: A total of 705 child abuse cases were recorded in Perak last year, says state women, family, social welfare, cooperatives and entrepreneur development committee chairman Datuk Salbiah Mohamed.
She said Perak Social Welfare Department statistics showed that this number involved 306 boys and 399 girls.
She said as of Feb 28, 142 cases have been recorded throughout the state, compared to 111 cases during the same period last year.
“The department takes all reported cases of child abuse seriously, and each district social welfare office with a child protection officer is responsible for handling such cases,” she said when replying to a question by Norhaslinda Zakaria (PN- Pangkor) during the Perak state assembly sitting here Friday (April 18).
Norhaslinda requested the number of child abuse cases in the state reported last year and this year.
Salbiah said the department had implemented 30 child protection advocacy programmes under the “Kasih Kanak-Kanak” initiative in the state in collaboration with the Perak state education department last year.
“The issue of child abuse cannot rest solely on the shoulders of the department, but a synergistic and cross-agency approach must be adopted to produce the best solutions.
“The cooperation of other relevant agencies, such as the health department, district health offices, police, state education department, national registration department, NGOs, and individuals who report abuse cases is essential to manage these cases effectively,” she added.
Salbiah said additional interactive workshops are also conducted by psychology and counselling officers across the state for children and their parents or guardians.
She said these interventions aim to improve family functions, and that through these sessions, families learn methods to identify problems, resolve conflicts and apply educational and practical knowledge to manage their family systems more effectively.
