We live in a beautiful but sadly also very cruel world, where senseless actions occur every day. Unfortunately, our children are the most vulnerable to such experiences. Today, around the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventist Churches, it is recognized as “WORLD DAY OF PRAYER FOR CHILDREN AT RISK”.

With the daily realities of these painful acts happening to children and adolescents, C.H.A.M Departments within the South Bahamas Conference are being encouraged to pray for the thousands of children and adolescents around the world who are at risk.

Many face physical abuse, which may include hitting, punching, shaking, burning, or other forms of physical violence. Physical abuse can result in physical injuries, emotional trauma, and long-term health consequences for children and adolescents. Sexual abuse, this can include sexual touching, molestation, rape, exploitation, or exposure to pornography.

Neglect is another risk a lot of children and adolescents experience and may happen in the form of physical, emotional, or educational and may result from factors such as poverty, substance abuse, mental illness, or parental incapacity. The risk of emotional abuse can include verbal abuse, humiliation, threats, rejection, or constant criticism. Bullying is another risk factor that children and adolescents may experience whether it be at school, in their communities, or online through cyberbullying.

Additional risks include online risks where children and adolescents are targeted through social media, gaming platforms, chat rooms, or messaging apps, putting their safety and privacy in danger. An increasing threat factor is child labor and exploitation where millions of children and adolescents worldwide are forced into exploitative labor conditions, including hazardous work, trafficking, and commercial sexual exploitation.

Consequently, community violence is also a risk that children and adolescents face, living in communities plagued by violence, crime, or conflict places them at the forefront of exposure to physical, verbal, or emotional violence.

Unfortunately, there are so many factors of risk for both children and adolescents, and “they to be protected and helped so that they can use their God-given talents to their fullest. They need our prayers. Let’s empower our children, adolescents, teenagers, old and young in our churches to pray for these at-risk children”.

 Kenisha Simms, Children and Adolescent Ministries Director   South Bahamas Conference 2022-2026