Children are one of the most vulnerable population groups in society. They are, nonetheless, the people who are considered the hope of the future. Those who are considered to bring joy to every home, even in the places where they grew up—society. They have rights, but they also need to be valued and protected, especially from various types of harm. So, it is essential that as they grow up, there are people who act as a bridge to guide them and help them understand everything.
According to studies, many children are exposed to numerous sorts of harm and danger, one of which is involved in a crime, in which the child sins without understanding the potential implications of his actions. Children are believed to be less mentally developed than adults, which means they still need to be well-versed in all aspects of society, such as laws. But, amazingly, some rules protect and give hope to children who are involved in crime.
According to Mrs. Emy Torrefiel, an employee of the organization Humanitarian Legal Assistance Foundation (HLAF) and also the person who organized every community program, there’s a law that strives to provide safety to children who have been involved, lost their way, accused, or suspected of wrongdoing under the Philippines’ enforced law. This is also known as the Juvenile Justice Welfare Act of 2006. Its objective is to give them a second chance, and it includes every right of a child that must be met. She also underlined her principle that they cannot be tortured or mistreated, nor can they be subjected to unlawful and arbitrary penalties and punishments. Even though they are young, it is critical under Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act (JJWA) to understand and respect them. In addition, she also stated the minimum age of criminal responsibility. They said 15+1 day and then the below 15, where there are penalties or, depending on the age, the treatment that should be given or performed for children.
Furthermore, every social worker might be considered one of those with large participation who contributed significantly under this law. According to Mrs. Claude, a social worker on the HLAF staff, “actually hindi lang social workers, pero nahahighlight yung social workers, kasi kung mapapansin nyo ang title niya ay Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act. So meron siyang legalistic part which is yung legality nung batas pero may ease to sa batas naten kasi meron siyang welfare lense na kadalasan ang nagpopromote ay actually mga social worker”. Their presence is extremely crucial because they make or determine the initial decision. This is seen in terms of whether a child is conscious of the crime he has committed or not, even if he can think right and wrong based on his condition at that time. Mrs. Claude also answered further. She stated that social workers like her are in charge when it comes to cases or case management, where they handle the case themselves. Bringing them to their office, conducting assessments, planning for intervention, providing intervention aftercare, and looking around the child is the job of the social worker.
Based on a position paper released by the Philippine Psychological Association (PAP) in 2017, the typical profiles of CICLs are those who come from dysfunctional families and are victims of neglect or lack of parental care. Socio-economic factors such as inequality and unemployment affect families. The lack of economic and educational opportunities in families leads to poverty, which leads to crime and delinquency. By nature, disenfranchised children are extremely vulnerable to exploitation. Due to the imprisonment of social workers, Mrs. Claude, who is also a social worker, advocates training for other professionals and paraprofessionals like the police, like COs like Tiyang Emme. This is one of those conducted by the Humanitarian Legal Assistance Foundation and Center for Restorative Action (HLAF-CRA) program where they provide training in some barangays to practice and help them carry out interventions as done by social workers. At this point, it will be more beneficial for everyone to assist children, particularly those who are involved in and accused of crimes, through programs such as the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act (JJWA), which help children while also preventing them from becoming adult offenders when the time comes.
It is also a good thing that the considered law Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act (JJWA) gives a second chance to children who have been involved in crime or are mistaken for having done something wrong. It is aimed at promoting accountability where it is not exempted from people who have done bad things or used children, such as syndicates, because according to the study of Ms. Claude, only 2% of children are involved in crime, including abusers (syndicates) and children who are used and victimized in the violation, also known as DARNA-ES. In addition, abused children receive an intervention. This means that no adults or violators will be allowed through because children are not exempted first and foremost. As a result, anyone who hires children to break or do bad things is subject to laws and penalties.
Parents can help a lot with this, just like social workers and other professionals who are (JJWA), as Mrs. Emme’s statement where she strongly stated that parental participation is important for every program that is implemented under Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act, especially in ongoing diversions and program interventions. The assistance and response of parents are critical, especially if the government’s or barangay’s initiative is successful.
As parents and citizens, our participation is critical in preventing the spread of children at risk and children in conflict with the law, as well as preventing them from becoming adult offenders, particularly in programs implemented by our community, such as advocacy campaigns, educational campaigns, and even training. Because every action we take benefits not only ourselves, but also the future, rights, and well-being of every Filipino child. Nonetheless, it is one of the things that will assist us in changing the erroneous systems that are emerging in our society.
