child abuse, neglect, and expoiltation (CANE)

head convenor: Bernadette J. Madrid, M.D.

about

Child abuse is a public health problem with significant economic, health, and psychosocial costs. Prevention must be prioritized to reduce the incidence of child maltreatment. Effective preventative measures require research to determine the magnitude of the problem, identify risk factors, design interventions that address the risk factors, and disseminate information on effective programs. However, most of the evidence on the effectiveness of prevention strategies comes from high-income countries. Outcome evaluation studies from low- and middle-income countries make up less than 1% of the evidence base. There is even less evidence to support health and social services responding to child maltreatment. A situational analysis of child maltreatment prevention in the Philippines revealed that there is a lack of data at the local and national levels. While there are a good number of laws, policies, and programs in the country, very few are directly related to primary prevention. A disparity between national laws and local implementation was also observed.

Since it was established in 1997, the Child Protection Unit at the University of Manila Philippine General Hospital (PGH-CPU) has provided child protection services to 21,966 children. The PGH-CPU is one of 94 Women and Child Protection Units (WCPUs) under the Child Protection Network Foundation, Inc. (CPN) that extends services to affected children and their families to minimize the consequences of abuse and neglect and to prevent future maltreatment. In 2015, the CPN aimed to promote child protection research as another pillar of the foundation’s work and help fill in the evidence gap in the Philippines.

A study group was envisioned to consolidate the efforts of multidisciplinary professionals and institutions active in the field of child protection research and generate information that will guide the development of policies and programs.

mission & vision

The Child Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation (CANE) Study Group was established under the Institute of Child Health and Human Development on October 2, 2015. The overall goal of CANE is to decrease the prevalence of child abuse and neglect in the Philippines through research that results in evidence-based policies and programs. Its primary objectives are: to build the evidence-base on what works in the primary prevention and intervention of child abuse and neglect in the Philippines, and to provide policymakers and program implementers with the information they need to come up with effective policies and strategies that can be taken to scale nationally to decrease the prevalence of child abuse and neglect.