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Drugs, Alcohol Key Factors in Child Abuse, Says Study
The use of drugs and alcohol is a key factor in 80 percent of child abuse cases in Colombia, reports a recent study conducted by World Vision in Colombia. Other major factors include poverty, restricted privacy in the home and children who work to supplement their families’ incomes.
More than 47 percent of children under 18 – some 8 million children – are abused by parents or other family members in Colombia. Exacerbating family problems in this northern Latin American country are a 41-year civil war and an 80 percent unemployment rate.
“Few things destroy the fabric of a country than the abuse, neglect and mistreatment of its children,” said Edgar Florez, World Vision’s national director in Colombia. “If Colombia is ever going to recover, then its parents must treasure their children.”
The results of World Vision’s research will be presented to national authorities and humanitarian agencies working to improve living conditions for children.
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