Children are the beautiful creation of God. They are the flowers of heaven and these beautiful souls do not even know how to survive in the society. They do not know whom to meet whom to communicate. Freely going to school and to play with their friends and coming back home happily but suddenly what happened? A wolf appears in the shape of human body and brings him/her with him to fulfill his dirty satisfaction, for money or for sexual appetites.
The WHO (World Health Organization) distinguishes four types of misuse of children physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, psychological abuse and neglect (fails to look after by parents or care taker of child or sometimes treatment and ways to treat child unfairly). Child abuse involves violent or terrifying action of mental, physical or sexual nature that may affect the child’s health, growth and decreases the dignity in terms of trust or power. In child abuse we can include any act of non-fulfillment by a parent or care taker that result in harm to a child which can happen in a child’s home, in the school or the circle child interact with.
Physical abuse includes harming children by beating, shaking, throwing, poisoning, burning or scalding, drowning, them. Studies shows that approximately in one group 20 children are abused physically every year. Physical abuse can cause a serious problem in children life. On the other hand, sexual abuse is also the horrifying act, which includes inappropriate touching, making them feel uncomfortable, showing them inappropriate images or encouraging a child to perform wrong acts. The situations of child sexual abuse or adult sexual abuse are different because children rarely disclose these kinds of matters. Because the child is highly forced to keep that secret from their parents, so this helplessness behavior creates a lot of problem in children life.
There is another kind of abuse that is emotional or physiological abuse which includes speech, actions or activities that gives a negative impact on child’s mental health. It includes threating, insulting or calling them with stupid names that damages a child’s self-esteem or emotional development. According to American Psychiatric Association, Child psychological abuse is as harmful as sexual or physical abuse.
Child abuse is the global issue now; child abuse is very common in most of the countries it can be seen in any cultural, group or society. Child abuse is unfortunately a common issue in Pakistan. That is spreading over the period of time the famous zainab case in kasur is just famous on social media which showed the very scary picture of the society. Government and other person related to this incident are failing to adjust this issue and if they will then it’s too late, and the situation continues.
In 2018 there was a very alarming situation in Pakistan Compared to 2017, per day cases of child sexual abuse increased from 9 cases per day to 12 cases per day. Punjab is on the top of most cases of child abuse in the country with 65%. And Sindh on second with 25% cases. And 3% child abuses cases occur in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Also Baluchistan came in last in child abuse cases with 2%. But the question is still the same for how long this danger will stay in the society? How long parents stay scared for the safety of their children and how long these wolves will be free?”
Sometimes, people who abuse children can show some behavioral signs. For example, parents who abuse their kids may avoid other parents in the neighborhood, may not present in school activities and functions, and might be not comfortable talking about their children's injuries or behavioral.
Taken from 85 newspapers, the results are horrifying: 3,832 cases of sexual abuse were reported in 2018. On the same day that Sahil’s findings were released, the tragic end of 12-year-old Ali Hassan from Lahore was reported. On his mother’s instructions, the boy had left his home to collect some money from his neighbors. He never returned. Three weeks later, his body was found. Strangled to death, his body was then burnt by his kidnappers, who did not want his identity to be revealed. The case may not have been sexual in nature but revealed the dangers faced by our most vulnerable segment of society.
Another incident happened to a 14-year-old boy was on his route to a coaching centre in Rawalpindi when he was shot dead after resisting a rape attempt. Another story of boy who took his own life after being sexually assaulted by two adult men in Battagram. His ordeal was recorded and filmed by the monstrous perpetrators, who then tried to blackmail him with the images.
Physical, sexual & mental abuse destroys the lives of the victim and their families or If it has happened with an innocent child it causes many effects in their entire life many of them feeling hopeless, often blaming themselves, hate the people of surrounding, trusting issues on people and many children have mental health difficulties including depression due to this some of them take drugs & alcohol and few of them attempt suicide.
Effective laws are necessary for the safety of our children, including, as suggested, the maintained of child-friendly courts. The time has now come to stopping the child abuse and removes the children from this fear because if today’s children are not secure future generation suffers more.
Team SUNS