As Child Protection Week draws to a close, discussions around child violence should not end with just a campaign, a commemorative day, or a social media post. For South Africa – and indeed the entire global community – protecting children remains one of the most urgent social responsibilities of our time. 

Protecting children beyond Child Protection Week

This year’s theme for Child Protection Week, Working together in ending violence against children, reminds us that keeping children safe cannot rest on the shoulders of one institution, profession, or community structure alone. It demands collective accountability from schools, families, universities, health-care professionals, law enforcement, policymakers, and communities. Together, these institutions must create environments where children are protected, heard, and able to thrive. 

At the University of the Free State (UFS), this responsibility continues to shape how teaching, research, and community engagement intersect to respond to some of society’s most pressing challenges. Students within the Department of Social Work are not only trained academically but are also equipped with practical and therapeutic approaches that prepare them to respond to child abuse, neglect, trauma, and family vulnerability within communities.

From casework and group work to community-based interventions, future social workers are taught to understand children by considering more than their behaviour. It is important to understand a child’s lived experience, trauma, and broader systemic realities in a country where poverty, inequality, and limited access to quality services continue to leave many children vulnerable.

The long-term impact of childhood trauma further highlights why child protection cannot be reactive or surface-level. Trauma experienced during childhood often extends far beyond those early years. It shapes emotional well-being, educational outcomes, relationships, and the child’s fundamental sense of safety. 

Advancing child well-being through research, outreach, and collective responsibility

“When a child experiences chronic adversity, the brain adapts to survive a hostile environment rather than to learn or connect”, advises Dr Carel van Wyk from the Department of Social Work.  

This is a sobering reminder that violence against children not only leaves visible scars; it fundamentally alters how children experience the world, relationships, education, and themselves. This is why universities have such an important role to play in advancing community-centred research, strengthening outreach initiatives, and building partnerships that contribute meaningfully to child well-being and protection.

At the UFS, this work increasingly extends beyond the classroom. Staff members within the Department of Social Work actively contribute to organisations such as Childline, Alcoholics Anonymous, and the Kidz Care Trust, which was established for street children. These efforts function coherently with continued research and therapeutic interventions to support children presenting with complex trauma symptoms.

As Child Protection Week concludes, child protection must remain a priority long after awareness campaigns end. Protecting children requires more than policy frameworks and institutional commitments. It requires compassion, vigilance, collaboration, and a collective willingness to create safer and more responsive communities.