Child Abuse
Scarcity of
the information based on numerical data, which reflect child abuse in
our country
poses a
barrier to develop healthy approaches. However, results of various
studies administered in Ýstanbul region provide an approach to be formed
about the subject. The fact that the ratio of corporal punishment was
found to be
87%; ratio of corporal punisment
inflicted on the children by their mothers who themselves had to stay in
a women shelter as a result of physical punishment they were subjected
to, to be 91% are the examples which show that abuse is experienced in
our country.
In
rewieving at the
difference between urban and rural areas; The rate of working children
at the
age group of 6-11 is higher in rural areas as compared to that of
urban. While
the rate of working children
at the
age group of 6-11, in urban areas, is
2.5%, this rate is
8.1% in rural areas (The report of Ministry of Labor, 2002).
Paraghraph 2. of the
32. article of the United Nations Convention on the Righs of Children
suggests that Staes Parties will
specify
one or more than one age limits for the children to be employed.
As it is seen, in our
legislation we have a
varied
age regulation like age 11, age 12, age 13, age 15, age 16 and age 18.
This disorder makes the field of child work in labor life more
uncontrollable. For the purpose of bringing a limitation to child
employment, age limits in the above mentioned legislation must be
revised and to fix the ages at 15 for light work and at 18 for heavy
work will be favorable in the short term. In order to protect the
children, especially those below the age 15, from the heavy conditions
of employment life, to raise the time of compulsory education to 18, at
the first phase, is a must.
Turkey is one of the
six countries that take part in the
implementation
of the International
Program on Eliminating Child Labor (IPEC), since the very beginning,
which was lauched first in 1992 in Turkey. According to results of a
joint study carried out by
Ministry of Labour and Social Security and
ILO-IPEC, in our
country, child labor is focused on the following fields: Agriculture -
metal firms - woods - automotive sector - textile - leather. Studies
conducted shows that child worker have the lowest work security. Of the
children of 12-19 age group, every one of three work in production and
raw material industry, services and in small family enterprises and
contribute to family budget. In rural areas, the children at this age
group comprise nearly half of the total workforce (46.9%), while this
rate is 22.3% in urban areas. Working conditions in urban industrial
regions would affect physical and mental development adversely. In a
study administered by Ministry of Labor, it is found that 50% of working
children wished to
continue
their education, but these conditions were not available. Studies
administered indicates that the number of working children increases by
age, conversely, the number of children who continue to attend school
has decreased. According to SIS data, of the working children, while
85% can attend primary school, this rate declines to 50%, in secondary
school level. However may the working children continue their education,
they have difficulty in meeting the requirements of their studies.
Child employment is
closely related to the socio-economic situation of a country.
Apprenticeship and Vocational Training
Law foresees that illness insurance
premiums of working children are paid by State, to enable higher
payments are given .
Childre work in
industry 10-12 hours a day. Various sudies indicate the same results.
On the contrary, in our legislation, (Labor Law, Art. 67Apprenticeship
and Vocational Training Law
Art. 10) it is foreseen that children will be working in light work and
merely 7.5 hours a day. Conversely, under
Regulation on Heavy and Dangerous Work child employment and, in some
regions, apprenticeship education classes are put into operation
Working children are
an important problem in our contry. Employment of children appears as
one of the most important
issues
which contradict the fundemental rule in child development, which state
that; “Each child must
live
the role of his/her age, must fulfill
the
requirements the tasks of his/her age.” Unfortunately, children were
observed to work and to be employed, mostly, in heavy work in a period
in which he/she should play and be educated
Care strategy of the
children in difficult circumstances are
fulfilled leaning towards institutions, in our country.
Institutional care
is not a prefered care method due to heavy economic costs, as well as
psychological and psychological deprivations the children staying here
subjected to.
Now,
today,
institutional care
should
be continued only when necessary and to a minimum extent. Practice of
foster family care which, increasingly, becomes prevalent in the World
is not prevalent in our country. Reviewing today’s figures, only
591 of the children
in need of protection are placed in a
foster
family, 485 of which has taken the children with the purpose of
adopting. Considering the number of
children in need of
protection, a straegy oriented to making the children cared by their
biological family must be developed.
In
providing services to the children in difficult circumstances;
currently, an aid in cash is offered to
18.823 children in
Children‘s Homes and Training Institution,
513 disabled
children in reabilitation centers, 591 children in foster family care,
2362 children in the adopted families. Care and protection services are
provided to 1156 children who were left with their families, to a total
of 2542 children in Creche and
Daytime
care homes / centers, who are at the age group of 0-6. Although a
protection decision is made,
3500 children cannot
benefit from the services, because this is
over
the capacity of the institutions. In addition to this, local
administrations and voluntary organizations have services oriented to
the children in difficult circumstances, no matter at a limited level.
There
are 28.091
children served in 643 institutions, cresches, Day Care Center and Child
clubs established by
private
enterprises. Education, health, clothing, food services provided to
children who are cared in these institutions, can not be offered to
children by their family
due to judicial restrictions and lack of resources. Currently, services
are given to 1694 children at the group of 0-6 and 17.129 of those who
are at the group 7-18. A large part of the children are at the stage of
primary, secondary and higher education.
Children and
adolescents who can not benefit from formal education
services following
primary education, sufficently; work and live in the community and
family in unhealty conditions
which
are quite unfavorable
for their
development; live their lives in the street; were
incited
to begging, prostitution and narcotic drug use constitute the risk
groups in need of special attention and education. These children and
adolescents are open to every type of abuse, namely physical, sexual and
emotional and in danger of being liable to crime. In our country, we
have a system of foster family.
In case
the child is able to discern the situation, his/her consent is taken and
this procedure is carried out. According to Turkish Population and
Health Survey
(TNSA) 1998, the
rate of children living with foster families is
roughly
1%,
among
general population
When we review the
subject under the title “Situation of children in Turkey” in an
outline
form, it appears it is difficult to describe the situation of the
children as quite satisfying. Especially, lack of an approach oriented
to considering the child as an individual is noticeable. The best
indicator with respect to this situation is the lack of a right to
participation on the part of the children, because, the relationship
between the child and his/her parents is dependent on the custody right,
not a custody relationship. Custody, in Turkey is still a status giving
a right to adults over children. In other words, decisions related to
children are made by the parents, by themselves, without considering the
child’s opinion. The best example concerning the lack of participation
in the community, on the part of the children, is the requirement that
children must
complete the age of 16 in order to be member in syndicates and the age
of 18 to be a member in associations. Children, also, do not have the
capacity to participate in the school administration, because of their
special statuses. All of these bring the result that children are not
accepted as adults, in turn, there is no sufficient investment made and
initiative taken oriented to make him/her grow.
Lastly,
it appears that State assigns a share, decreasing each year, from the
budget to Social Services and Child Protection Agency. Most dramatic
picture appearing is the allocation of a rate of
0.17% out of the
general budget, which is the lowest among that of years.