Children have spoken out about the emotional violence inflicted on them, revealing the deep impact of such abuse.
Their alarming voices were quoted in a report released by AfriChild, titled "The Drivers of Emotional Violence," during one of their monthly virtual webinar series.
In the report, children shared instances of verbal abuse, such as being told, "I wish you die" and "I will cut you into pieces," as well as actions like being forced to sleep outside and experiencing rejection by parents. The research was conducted in Kayunga district, where 132 children between the ages of 10 and 14 participated through interviews, interactive discussions, and short answer questions.
Parents are now being urged to improve their parenting styles for the wellbeing of their children. Masitula Namugenyi, a researcher from Makerere University, highlighted that family, community, and individual factors are the biggest drivers of emotional violence, attributing these to poverty, alcoholism, and ignorance of the law.
The report recommended improved parenting styles, efforts to fight household poverty, and the full implementation of policies prohibiting corporal punishment in schools, among other measures, to address the issue.