“I would like to appeal to parents to pay attention to the safety of their boy children, their education and the messages that boys receive very early in life about respecting females and using dialogue to resolve conflict,” Human Services Minister Dr Vindhya Persaud said on Saturday in her message for International Day of the Boy Child, which is being observed today. According to the latest statistics available, she said, 635 girls were abused for the first quarter of this year alone, but an alarming number of boys – 404 – were also abused. The types of abuse reported include physical, sexual, verbal, neglect, and abandonment. As a result, Persaud said the systems being put in place to deal with child abuse are for both boys and girls. She also noted the importance of boys being exposed to both positive male and female role models in their foundation years. “I encourage parents to pay attention to their sons and ensure that they receive positive messages on self-awareness, relationships and conflict resolution, to encourage ambition and healthy development goals,” she further said. In photo, Persaud greets a young boy during her visit to Baramita last week. (Photo by Ministry of Human Services)
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