Research on Punishment of Children
Over 60 percent of these child domestic workers are punished sometimes while living with the host family. Under 10 percent are punished often while living with the host family. Such punishment is usually in the form of spanking, being forced to stand on knees with over 58 percent being hit with an object.
While around 72 percent of these children don’t sustain any injuries from their punishment, this kind of treatment did leave them with headaches, bruises and cuts and wounds. Around 60 percent of such children said they don’t have any fear of the members of their host families. 20 percent of child domestic workers said they did fear them sometimes.
Restavek
In Haiti, many poor rural families hoping to provide a better future for their children send them to live as domestic servants in the homes of urban / semi-urban families. These children, mostly girls, are extremely vulnerable to emotional, physical, and sexual abuse. These children are known as Restavek.
Data Source
The raw data provided to Haiti Now by FAFO Research Foundation and the Institut Haitian del’ Enfance, were collected in 2013 - 2014. When reading these research findings please bear in mind that surveys of the attitudes of children in servitude towards their host families are bounded by the inability of these children to speak freely.
Haiti Now has published this data online in an interactive manner. Click here to review this data in more detail, and to see other dimensions of the living conditions of Restavek in Haiti.
Building The Residential School
Haiti Now administers comprehensive programs that enable girls to overcome domestic servitude. It is now working on building a safe house dedicated to the long term empowerment of Restavek girls.
In this safe house, Haiti Now will provide an accelerated education, health care, emotional support, mentoring, arts, sports, and healthy socialization with peers and adults. Our goal is to provide the comprehensive support needed for Restavek girls to build a healthy and financially secure future, all under one roof.
Please support us at https://www.haiti-now.org/donate/