There has been a recent and sudden rise in the cases of child abuse registered all over Pakistan which is a matter that demands immense attention of the state, government and society in general as well. Authorities have reported this rise to be 10%.
Child abuse encompasses all horizons of varied injustice that a child faces until the age of eighteen. There are some basic types of child abuse that include physical, sexual, mental abuse and child neglect.
Physical abuse includes any physical torture that an infant received from the oppressor or the abuser. This type of abuse is common enough yet is always either neglected or not taken notice of. The basic reason why such fatal abuse does not get reported is because of the fear of being beaten even more after reporting this crime. Children who are a subject to child abuse, are usually victim to the injustice of someone very close to them.
Mental abuse includes all mental torture that a child receives. There are many answers to why and how children fall victim to this kind of abuse. Discrimination; religious or sexual, gender inequality can make children end up as a constant subject to mental child abuse.
Sexual child abuse, a fatal yet equally unreported and hidden crime that perpetuates in the society, involves sexual assault or any type of sexual abuse carried out against an infant or child. This abuse brings drastic after-effects for the victim and the victim’s family that may include rejection from the society or being blamed for giving consent in the crime that has happened with him or her. With sexual abuse comes everlasting mental torture and a feeling of repentance that kills the victim internally, forever.
Child neglect, the last type of child abuse involves neglecting the basic rights of a child, intentionally or unintentionally, causing him or her to suffer. This type of abuse usually happens without the intention of the abuser thus remains greatly unnoticed and unreported. Working parents or guardians who are busy in a race to earn money usually do not look after their children and are placed in protection of maids and guardians who fail to provide these children with enough attention that they deserve. Child neglect goes unreported because the victims are unaware of their rights in the society. Sometimes people with large families find it difficult to give equal attention to all the children.
The nature of all of these types of child abuse is so personal that victims find it more consoling not to report them than to report them to authorities. The stereotypical view of society rejection is what victims usually fear. However, the act of not reporting all sorts of child abuse is giving oppressors the liberty that they do not deserve hence spreading the level of abuse amongst the country.
SYED QASIM ABBAS,
Lahore, October 23.