BVI News

Don’t leave kids home alone, ‘neglect’ the most common form of child abuse in BVI

The latest statistics from the Social Development Department suggests that the most common form of child abuse recorded in the BVI is neglect.

A total of 21 cases of neglect towards children were reported to the department in 2018.

Head of Family Children and Protective Services Laurel Freeman has described these statistics as concerning and has issued a warning that children, regardless of their age, should never be left alone.

“Children may appear to be more responsible but we want to avoid unforeseen events that can occur when children are alone,” Freeman said.

The child protective services boss alluded to what she said were regular incidences of unsupervised children in most communities. She said children are typically left alone because of the work demand or the type of employment their parents have.

The Ministry of Social Development has provided a number of tips for parents or guardians to consider when seeking family or professional childcare services. These include obtaining contact numbers for the child care provider, ensuring that the childcare provider has current contact numbers for parents, ensuring that the ratio of adults to children is appropriate, properly detailing dietary restrictions and ensuring that there is clean and adequate space that is appropriately designated for the number of children required for the services provided.

In a recent media release, the aforementioned department said: “Parents and guardians are advised not to leave children unattended during activities leading up to emancipation celebration festival”.

Parents are also encouraged to contact the department for information on seeking appropriate child care services.

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23 Comments

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  1. Anonymous says:

    “children, regardless of their age, should never be left alone.”

    So you telling me my parents neglected me and my siblings when they left us home together with one another where the oldest at 12 and the youngest at 5 and the others in between?

    Or don’t leave ONE 14 year old home alone because that is neglect?

    Who to look after them when mommy, poppy, granmommy, granpoppy, great grannies all out working in these hard times? We can’t make enough to feed household whete we going find money for childcare?

    Like 18
    Dislike 5
  2. BULL!!! says:

    Pure bull nonsense!

    Like 14
    Dislike 2
  3. Check... says:

    The Social Development Department is the BIGGEST problem to social development. No lie!!!

    Like 20
    Dislike 5
    • @Check says:

      The entire department needs investigating.

      They come out with shows, this and that cause bring celebrated each month and THEY ENGAGE IN UNDERHANDEDNESS BEHIND THE SCENES.

      The SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT DOES NOT BEGIN TO UNDERSTAND THE CONCEPT OF ABUSE AND HOW TO ALLEVIATE THE LONG TERM EFFECTS.

      THE DEPARTMENT IS ALL HYPE AND NO ACTION.

      Like 13
      Dislike 1
  4. Krazy says:

    For your information, a lot of kids were left home alone this weekend, Buju was in town, and parents could not afford to pay for everyone to go to the concert.

    Like 7
    Dislike 1
  5. 2CENT says:

    Don’t cuss just drop the kids by Social development office or Ms. freeman house and pick them up when you done.

    Like 15
    Dislike 2
  6. Hmmmmmmm says:

    That pic looks more like he at Best Western Hotel and he all excited about going Sea World.

    Doesn’t look like he home alone …

    Duh ?…

    Like 14
    Dislike 1
  7. One eye fowl cock says:

    All these wo men in social services with there hormones out of balance daaaa

    Like 5
    Dislike 2
  8. Question says:

    So what would be the age to leave a child home alone? Because in reality, parents have work and shifts and there are no options!

  9. NB says:

    Lemme guess, someone with a PHD in some psycho babble and a fat salary came up with this BS? You could at least specify the age group. If there are older sibling to care for the young, why is it still abuse…..stewwwwwwww

    Like 10
  10. Asking says:

    What is a responsible 10 year old is home while I am out on shifts? Especially grave yard shifts?

  11. wow says:

    Cannot believe some of these comments, Try this in UK and you find yourself in jail and your kids in care.

    Like 8
    Dislike 1
    • Nonsense says:

      @wow you’re talking rubbish. There is in fact no law on this in the UK but their guidelines suggest that children under 12 not be left unsupervised for ‘long periods of time’ and children under 16 not be left overnight.

      In reality many many teenagers work as paid (or unpaid) babysitters in charge of other children and nobody bats an eye.

  12. Anonymous says:

    I know that Social Development is one of the BVI’s most dysfunctional departments, on this point l have to agree. I don’t think it is safe to leave young children at home alone. Tortola has changed we no longer know our neighbors, your next door neighbor could be a predictor. We don’t speak of it often but boys in Tortola get molested just as often as girls. They just don’t tell, for fear of being seen as gay. Then other things can happen fires can start in a neighbors apartment or a child can accidentally start a fire. While children may be fine on their own and no emergencies may happen it is better to be safe than sorry. In cases of emergency children may panic and not know what to do. I agree bills are high and something has to suffer but it should not no our children. Perhaps we can do without the $900.00 cell phone, $200.00 sneakers, Gucci chains and earrings.

    Like 15
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    • One eye fowl cock says:

      You said it dis function null egoesdaà melee sleeping with jail birds ms … lead by example. Daaaa

  13. Rubbish says:

    There are important issues to be resolved. Go fix the child support laws.
    You want parents to hire professional child care services when they’re going to be reimbursed $0.01 from the archaic law.

  14. Parenting says:

    Come on people a mean what their saying is so right let’s not forget the many cases of children been hurt alone I’ve known cases of fires,electric shock,murders ,rapes just to name a few such as many may not happen here in the BVI but have a heart and let’s not be Naive I’m a parent and I do leave kids at home for a short while before but it always leave us as parents with a heavy heart esp if u hear the ambulance or fire truck heading close ur sides .Maybe some parents have their camera device so they can veiw from their phone where ever they are but what about us who can’t afford such devices,what I would advice parents is sit down with your kids and have a emergency plan,The Do’s And Dont’s Remember we only feel the pains more when Strategy hits at home God Bless This Nation and Our Super Hero Kids.

    Like 2
    Dislike 1

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