Preventing Domestic Violence against Children through Family, School, and Community Participation

Abstract

This participatory action research focused on preventing domestic violence against children in a community in Yala Province with the participation of family, school, and community. Its objective was to safeguard children from violence in the family through a participatory process involving family, school, and community.

The study revealed that children in the target community had suffered from physical and mental abuse due to several reasons including 1) local values such as “spare the rod and spoil the child,” or “children are parental property and parents are their owners”; 2) economy; 3) moral standard or religious beliefs; and 4) drug abuse. To prevent violence against the children in this community, families watched over their children closely and practiced the religious way of life and child raising. Primary schools, both in conventional and religious education, played a role in providing knowledge, nurturing, caring for, and observing children’s behavior along with visiting their households. On the community level, community leaders and religious leaders were responsible for giving advice, mediating, and referring other relevant agencies for further assistance. It was evident that the participation of family, school, and community involved cooperation with an understanding of one’s own roles and responsibilities to care for, protect, and safeguard children in the community from all kinds of violence.

It is recommended that an additional agency for children be established at the district or sub-district level to facilitate services pertaining to children. This will be an effective and productive mechanism to protect, safeguard, and care for children in the area to keep them safe from violence perpetrated by family members, or to respond quickly to any child-related incidents and provide them with the maximum benefit.