Teach your children well

THE word ‘slavery’ at face value belongs to a previous era, when ships crossed the oceans carrying helpless, fettered natives to foreign countries, where they led miserable lives of servitude to the masters who owned them.

However, the practice still persists today – albeit not as blatantly, and in a totally different guise.

The ‘master’ may be an addiction or a cult or a literal controller, but the effects are the same, with the victim totally under the power of the oppressor.

Child abduction and human trafficking are the prime manifestations of modern day slavery.

Forewarned, the old adage states, is forearmed.

For this reason, it was gratifying to see the effort made by Arboretum Primary School in observing ‘Shine a Light on Slavery Day’, which was acknowledged internationally on Friday.

Some shocking statistics were shared, among them the fact that an estimated 10 000 South African children are stolen or abducted every year.

Indeed, this newspaper regularly carries police notices appealing for witnesses relating to missing children cases.

The Salvation Army further reveals that some 30 000 are being prostituted in this country, half of whom are under 14.

And it is not only the homeless and the orphaned children who end up either working in sweat shops or walking the streets for their pimps.

Human trafficking is a highly organised business, with children identified, targeted, sought and stolen on demand from paying customers.

On that note, they are well equipped to use the Internet to lure unsuspecting young prey.

The sex and drug trades are obviously linked, so that many youth end up prostituting their bodies after being introduced to, and then hooked on, drugs.

Many pupils at Arboretum Primary openly attested to having taken sweets from strangers or having accepted a ride in a vehicle driven by someone they did not know.

This is a huge, flashing red warning sign.

The innocence and the trusting nature of children are wonderful qualities; but they are precisely what make them so vulnerable.

Parents should arm themselves with the knowledge needed to counsel and advise their kids.

They should not be part of the problem by, for instance, sending them to the shops alone.

They are too precious to lose.