This year, the pandemic has drastically disrupted and changed the lives of millions of children all over the world. It has threatened their well-being, health, safety, education. Family life and income, school closures, quarantine measures, and child protection systems have been severely affected. Children now face the long-term socio-economic and mental health impact brought by COVID-19.
The Child Protection Network Foundation (CPN) and UNICEF Philippines are now holding the 12th Ako Para Sa Bata (APSB) Conference. To focus on these major issues, it has been reorganized as a series of 23 bi-weekly webinars for three months. It started on Sept. 8 and it will run until Nov. 24.
“With UNICEF’s support, we are able to continue organizing the annual APSB conference that provides continuing education for individuals and professionals in the frontline of child protection work ensuring that every abused child is treated with compassion and competence they truly deserve,” commented Katrina Legarda, director, National Network of Women and Child Protection Units of the CPN. “The webinars are free of charge. See you online,” she exclaimed.
“Addressing violence against children is a united effort. Ako, Tayo Para Sa Bata. This year, the Child Protection Network Foundation (CPN) has chosen the Philippines Obstetrical and Gynecological Society (POGS) to receive the Most Valuable Partner Award 2020,” said Dr. Bernadette J. Madrid, CPN executive director and Conference president. “CPN recognizes the professional and medical milestone that POGS has achieved through the integration of women and child protection in the OB-GYN residency training curriculum.”
“The APSB continues to grow and reach more child protection professionals and individuals from all parts of the Philippines and even outside the country,” APSB Chair Dr. Rica C. Lorenzana added. Dr. Sandra S. Hernandez, Scientific Committee chair APSB said, “The APSB 2020 webinars gather the APSB community online. We discuss how the COVID-19 pandemic has increased the risks for violence against children, how it has affected child protection services and parents on caring for children during this health crisis.”
Among the topics discussed by distinguished experts in the field are the following: Impact of COVID-19 on VAC and the child protection system; Beyond community quarantine in the Philippines; Responding to gender-based violence in the time of COVID-19 pandemic; Online sexual abuse and exploitation of children; and, Child protection in education enforcement Issues.
On Nov. 3, the timely topic was “Healthy Internet Use in the Time of Pandemic.” The panelists were Queenie Lee-Chua, PhD, Victoria Nolasco, MD, and Sylvianna G. Manalo. Larah Ellen Galvante-Landazabal, MD, was moderator with chair Ana Katherina Rodriguez-Go, MD.
Here are some practical notes and quotes from the webinar.
When thinking of how to raise “wired children,” parents should recognize the threats of screen time on their children’s health. Children tend to spend too much time online, partly on schoolwork and on social media. It is not true that there is too much online schoolwork.
Prof. Lee-Chua emphasized: “Make motivation a habit.” Structure is essential for learning. Real learning requires willpower. Children are distracted; there is a lack of external structure. Discuss a doable routine for ALL: study, work, and meals. Structure is needed so that the home environment can make motivation a habit.
Practice self-regulation. There should be space for each person, private or semi-private. Earphones are important because they allow the students to be in the same room and share the internet at home.
Parents should schedule and insist on physical exercise. There should be time for each: sleep, meals, exercise, and walks under the sun and fresh air. The environment may not be ideal but it should be workable for all.
Most distractions are self-inflicted: surfing, gaming. She suggested the use of external reminders. There are “screen time” apps for Apple, and other productivity apps for android. Parents should limit gadget use. FB and YouTube, in particular.
For complex study, “Print is better than online.” One should print the material and switch off the computer to solve math problems. It is necessary to limit reading online to the following: “Problems with mental resources, navigating tests, focus and retention. Many experts work hard to make reading on tablets as close to reading on paper as possible.” Studies say that it is better to print out the assignments and work offline. Our eyes get tired reading online. Most learning is done offline. There should be a balance between online and offline. “We are not homo-computerists,” Dr. Lee-Chua said. “Reserve accessible time and preserve the eyesight for live classes, videos and tests.”
She advised that parents should reserve non-academic activities (Twitter, for example) for weekends. Children should learn how to discipline themselves. Little children should not have FB accounts. Open communication is essential. Parents should seek to inspire teens with words, actions, demeanor.
On online learning she said parents should have “Gratitude. Count your blessings, not your burdens.
Prof. Lee-Chua tells her students: “Study hard and Study Smart.”
“Smart goals: Make resolutions realistic and positive. Make them as concrete as possible so you can plan accordingly.” She advised that one should begin with subjects that they have difficulty with. Focus on what one does not know. In major exams, practically all topics are given weight. In order to pass, one needs to know the basics of all of them.
“When you multitask, you are trying to save time. But you will likely fail. You end up consuming more time doing the same things.” Single, sequential tasking is better. Complex tasks cannot be done at the same time.
“Calm your children and calm yourselves,” she said. “Keep things in perspective.”
“Fact-check chain messages on Viber.” Ninety-nine percent of forwarded messages are not true, according to Dr. Lee-Chua.” She cited internet safety and how social media is dangerous to one’s mental health and the loss of privacy. “With great power comes great responsibility.” The internet provides everyone power for good or ill.
The brain changes with gadget addiction. There is the impaired mesocorticolimbic dopamine system “high.” This is similar to drug abuse. There is cue-induced craving in substance dependence. There is gray matter decrease in the prefrontal cortex. There is also decreased functional connectivity in cortex/subcortical areas (like heroin/cocaine). There is net-addiction such as repetitive finger movements.
She mentioned that some people have found a sense of purpose in the pandemic. There was a clinically depressed student who found meaning in the pandemic.
“Focus on what you can do. (Brainstorming on space and routine honing skills, helping frontliners, caring for each other).
“Seek professional help, if necessary.” Manage anxiety through mindfulness, seek nature. And then there is sleep. “Sleep. Quality, deep sleep.” Quantity is good but some people can sleep 10 hours and still wake up groggy. Notifications on the phone are bad because they disturb sleep. Blue light interferes with melatonin production.
“Make the most of what you have… For mental health, medicines, therapy help. In the end, the only thing that will distract them from self-pity would be reaching out to others.”
“Healing yourself is connected with healing others.” — Yoko Ono
Father Ben Nebres S.J., former Ateneo president, told of a student who was self-harming and self-destructive, “Come with me and we will visit Gawad Kalinga.” He made her help. She did not like it but she continued working there. And it worked. She is still alive and is now productive.
“Social media promotes self-obsession. It wreaks havoc on mental health. We should be helping others. There are people who have much less but they are more content.”
“We should expose children to what is positive,” said Dr. Lee-Chua.
Congratulations to the innovative organizers, CPN and UNICEF!
(Follow the Ako Para sa Bata Facebook page @AkoParaSaBataConference. The webinars are held every Tuesday and Thursday from 10 to 11:30 a.m. The recordings are available.)
Maria Victoria Rufino is an artist, writer and businesswoman. She is president and executive producer of Maverick Productions.
mavrufino@gmail.com
