Elements Of Child Law In The Commonwealth Caribbean

A comprehensive study of elements of child law in the Commonwealth Caribbean. It covers legitimacy, status of children legislation, parental rights, maintenance, family provision and succession to property, custody, adoption and care and protection issues.

The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) acknowledged the modern understanding of childhood. It formulated what children can expect as a set of rights as distinct from welfare or kindness from adults. This book examines the importance of child rights, and provides an overview of the key themes of the CRC.

By Christina M. Cerna.

From the skyrocketing AIDS rate in Haiti to the oppressive pollution in industrial China, from the violent street culture of Nigeria to the crippling poverty in Nicaragua, from child trafficking in Thailand to child marriages in India, this jam-packed six-volume set explores all these issues and more in an unprecedented look at the world's children at the dawn of the 21st century. In recent years, while many countries have enjoyed a higher standard of living and improved working conditions, others have been torn apart by war and incapacitated by famine, and are struggling to improve life for their children and their future. Recent concern over the world's children has resulted in a global attempt to define what constitutes an acceptable childhood. New attention has been paid, not only to healthcare and secondary education, but also to the right to play and increased access to technology. The UN's codification of children's rights has done much to expand our understanding of what is needed for healthy growth and development of children and youth. Organized by region, The Greenwood Encyclopedia of Children's Issues Worldwide is the first globally focused set of this magnitude, offering extensive, up-to-date coverage of these critical issues. Original chapters accessibly synthesize current data on key topics, including education, play and recreation, child labor, family, health, laws and legal status, religious life, abuse and neglect, and growing up in the 21st century.

Child Abuse as a social problem in the Caribbean has only within the past thirty years gained recognition and attention since the emphasis was placed on the more prevalent maternal and child health problems. The phenomenon of child abuse and neglect, however, is not clearly defined due to inadequate surveillance systems within the territories. Studies based on reported cases have established that there are traditional child rearing practices which adversely affect some Caribbean children due to many factors ranging from poverty, inequality, oppression, gender issues, socio-economic disadvantages and loss of values. Because of these deficiencies, various forms of child abuse have been identified particularly in the urban areas which may be considered the outcome of abnormalities in the parent /child relationship and of the society. The Book presents a comprehensive portrayal of the phenomenon of child abuse and neglect in Caribbean society drawing on research and clinical experience. It incorporates history, case scenarios and a variety of effective intervention strategies. In addition, it explains case management procedures focusing on how various professions can become involved in the child protection process; and the need to convey in a different light the changes that need to occur to break the cycle of child abuse and neglect. The Book is written for professionals who work in the best interest of children on a daily basis and intended to offer a good basic introduction to the topic. It is a useful tool for therapists, educators, students, social workers, nurses, police officers. It is intended to stimulate those who read it not only to improve their day-to-day practice in responding to child abuse but will also broaden their perspective about child abuse and neglect. The Book also explains how the needs of children and the relationship between them and their parents are predictive of child abuse and neglect; and examines its nature, causes, recognition and response, its effects on children, the legislation and the social and other obstacles to effective implementation of the Law. The author draws attention to the fact that the majority of this study focuses primarily on people of African descent since little is known about children in other ethnic groups.