Introduction
Protective factors are those conditions in families and communities that when present increase the health and wellbeing of children and families. The earlier in life a child receives the protective factors, the better that the child develops health wise, physically, intellectually, cognitively, emotionally, and in all aspects. Preschoolers are children between the age of 3 and five years. These children are in infancy, and they require utmost care and plan to protect them from negative societal forces such as traumas, child abuse (physical, sexual, emotional, or psychological) among others.
The Child Welfare Organization publication on child welfare outlines a proper intervention plan that can be suited to protect preschoolers. The first issue of the intervention plan is to reduce physical abuse and neglect (Child Welfare Information Gateway – CWIG 2011). In this case, parents to preschoolers can be taken through general parenting education classes where they are taught suitable parenting skills and how to respond to the hyperactivity, demands, and developmental needs of a preschooler. Skilled parents become a child’s dependable line of defense and intervention plan. The parents can form support groups where they exchange ideas on suitable parenting for preschoolers (CWIG 2011). In addition, parents can join family resource centers where they learn how to adapt preschoolers to family life, community values, and general issues to help the child become an independent person once they join school. The provision of hotlines by child welfare authorities, as well as crisis nurseries, offers an immediate response unit that handles neglected or abused children (CWIG 2011).
The intervention plan also targets to reduce child sexual abuse. Preschoolers are prone to child abuse since they are highly social and tend to trust other people quickly. In this case, the plan entails teaching preschoolers the distinctions between good and bad, how to react to strangers and to people familiar to them (CWIG 2011). In addition, the plan entails teaching children how to say no and what to do in case someone is trying force them into sexual acts or forced labor or crime. Children learn the concept of body ownership and who ought to touch them where and when (CWIG 2011). The plan should also entail encouraging preschoolers how to report incidences of abuse. For instance guiding to children to talk to their parents as soon as possible when they face any threats of abuse or real abuse.
The third part of the intervention plan should be establishing guidelines that authorities adhere to when responding to child abuse or neglect cases. In other words giving parents and children assurance on the departments, they can consult for information on child protection (CWIG 2011). The parents, guardians, and children themselves should be knowledgeable of the constitutional provisions that assure them of state protection for their rights and freedoms. In addition, the courts systems should have clear guidelines to handle child offenders and abusers. When children, parents, and the society puts in place structures purposely meant for child protection and all the relevant stakeholders become aware of those structures there is bound to be better protection of children.
Conclusion
The protection of children to enjoy proper development is a right that any society ought to accord its children. An intervention plan suited for preschool children could entail, parental education, educating the child on how to protect itself and thirdly putting in place structures through the constitution to safeguard the enjoyment of the rights of children.
References
Child Welfare Information Gateway – CWIG (2011) Child maltreatment, prevention: Past present and future. Issue Brief. Retrieved 9 December 2014 from https://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/issue_briefs/cm_prevention.pdf
