Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency (DSVA) has reiterated the commitment of the Babajide Sanwo-Olu Administration to continue to engage parents on the need to safeguard their children from all forms of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence
The Executive Secretary of DSVA, Mrs. Titilola Vivour-Adeniyi, disclosed this at a one-day interactive programme on Safeguarding and Child Protection organised for 300 parents from Lagos Education District III held recently at the Dolphin Senior High School, Lagos Island.
Vivour-Adeniyi, who spoke through the Agency’s Head of the Clinical Psychology Department, Olive Oluwagbemileke, said the purpose of the forum was to enlighten parents on Child Abuse, prepare them on signs to look out for, and steps to take in reporting cases as part of measures to find a lasting solution to domestic and sexual violence in the State.
While stressing that the programme was organised in partnership with the Ministry of Education to reduce the growing trend of rape culture in primary and secondary schools across the State, Vivour-Adeniyi said the agency must also empower the parents with relevant skill-set and information to boost their parenting skills to prevent Sexual and Domestic Violence cases proactively.
Also Speaking, the representative of the Office of Education Quality Assurance, Mr. Kamaldeen Akodu, said parents must devote adequate time to their children and wards.
In his words, “We have had cases where parents neglect their children and these children have been abused by neighbours, uncles and others and at the end of the day they blame the Schools for the incidents”.
One of the facilitators and State Coordinator of Child Protection Network, Ronke Oyelakin said the participants were equipped to safeguard their children and to address the issue of violence that children are faced with.
Oyelakin stressed that all stakeholders have a collective responsibility to instill good values in children towards a healthier society.
