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While South Africa celebrates Child Protection Week from 29 May to 5 June under the theme “Working together to end violence against children”, there is an uneasy tension under the official messages of awareness and celebration.
Behind the posters, campaigns and promises hides a reality that often takes place quietly in homes, schools and communities – where children’s safety is not always guaranteed.
It is precisely against this background that Solidarity Helping Hand issues an urgent warning: child protection cannot begin when a social worker is called in or a court case is started, but should begin much earlier in the daily spaces of care, vigilance and responsibility.
Suzette Oosthuizen, head of centers and national structures at Solidarity Helping Hand, says the reality is that South Africa is facing a serious child protection crisis.
“When we talk about child protection, we need to look beyond the courtroom or the social worker’s office. The real work begins long before a crisis emerges. It begins in homes, schools, churches and communities where adults are willing to notice when a child is suffering.”
According to Unicef, citing police quarterly crime statistics, 285 children were murdered between October and December 2023, while 2,707 children survived murder, assault or serious bodily harm.
Unicef also warns that these figures only represent reported cases and that the real extent of violence against children is probably much greater. Statistics South Africa further indicates that children make up 43.1% of South Africa’s poor population.
Oosthuizen says that behind every statistic there is a child with a name, a story and a future.
“When we talk about violence, poverty or trauma, we are talking about children who try to function every day while they are insecure, afraid or hungry.”
(Photo: iStock)
She says trauma in children does not always manifest in obvious ways.
“The child who gets quiet in class, the teenager who acts aggressively or the toddler who arrives at school hungry often tells a story that goes beyond what we see at first glance. The question that many of these children are really asking is simply: ‘Am I safe?'”
Oosthuizen emphasizes that the greatest protection a child can have is often a safe and involved adult.
“The greatest protection a child can have is someone who listens, makes time and shows that child that he or she has value. Child protection cannot only be the responsibility of the state. Communities must take responsibility for their children together.”
“Child protection is not just about rescuing children from danger. It is about creating spaces where they can grow, learn and heal. Children who receive emotional support, adequate nutrition and access to high-quality early development have a better chance of thriving academically, emotionally and socially.”
She emphasizes that a society that protects its children ultimately protects its own future.
“Strong communities are built when ordinary people take responsibility for the next generation.”