"One of the many social ills confronting the nation at this time and threatening to undermine the very resilience for which our people are known, is the abuse of our children....  '... I shared my concerns for the safety and security of our children and young people and call for national collaboration at all levels to end the abuse which has left so many victims in its wake"

"I encourage support for community projects that would positively impact their lives and give them a brighter future". (Sir Patrick Allen, Governor General of Jamaica, 6th Biennial Jamaica Diaspora Conf. 13-18 June 2015)

were otherwise in need of care and protection. Child abuse continues to be a growing problem in Jamaica and where efforts are focused on the perpetrator, not enough is being done to support children that are abused.

A total of 56,531 reports were made to the OCR (Office of the Children's Registry) during the period 2007 – 2014. These statistics represent children who were alleged victims of physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, neglect, trafficking or child labour. They also include children who  were reported to exhibit behavioural problems or who