Giving All Kids the Chance to Enjoy Childhood

I am 20 years old and am fortunate to say that I can look back on my childhood as a positive experience overall. Through all the ups and downs, I can certainly say that I was given a variety of opportunities that allowed me to learn and grow into the man I am becoming today. In a developed country like Aoteroa, I believe there is plenty of room for growth in terms of providing this opportunity to less fortunate children. A major reason for this is the barrier of child abuse. Neglect, physical, emotional and sexual abuse are just some of the ways a child can experience abuse. These forms of abuse can be harmful to children of all ages and rob them of the invaluable experience of being an innocent child. Furthermore, child abuse can also be a root cause of issues such as crime, violence, depression and substance abuse .