Government-funded programmes and services for vulnerable - Unicef

Government-funded programmes and services for vulnerable children in SA
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The FCS units/officers
have been established
to prevent and combat
crimes against children
and adult victims of
family violence and
sexual offences. iv
The duty
to report
cases of
sexual abuse,
physical
abuse,
neglect or
exploitation
of children,
and children
who are
in need of
care and
protection, to
the SAPS
Section 110(1) of the
Children’s Act imposes
an obligation on a
number of professionals
that come into contact
with children, such
as doctors, labour
inspectors, legal
practitioners, midwives,
nurses, teachers, etc.,
who on reasonable
grounds conclude
that a child has been
abused in a manner
causing physical injury,
sexually abused or
deliberately neglected,
must report the abuse
to, inter alia, a police
official.
Section 110(2) of the
same Act authorises any
person who believes a
child to be in need of
care and protection to
report this to, inter alia,
a police official.
In addition, section
141(1) of the Children’s
Act requires any
social worker or social
service professional
that becomes aware of
any person procuring
a child for slavery or
forced or compulsory
Targeted beneficiaries
Children that are
abused
The Children’s Act
defines abuse as ‘any
form of harm or illtreatment
deliberately
inflicted on a child, and
includes (a) assaulting
a child or inflicting any
other form of deliberate
injury to a child; (b)
sexually abusing a
child or allowing a
child to be sexually
abused; (c) bullying
by another child; (d)
a labour practice that
exploits a child; or (e)
exposing or subjecting
a child to behaviour
that may harm the
child psychologically or
emotionally’ (s1).
Children that are
deliberately neglected
The Children’s Act
defines neglect as
‘a failure in the
exercise of parental
responsibilities to
provide for the
child’s basic physical,
intellectual, emotional
or social needs’
(definition section).
Professionals that
come into contact
with and are
responsible for the
well-being, health
and development of
children have a duty
to report abuse and
neglect of children.
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