Child Abuse and Neglect in Pakistan
Childhood is the most beautiful period of life of a person. It should be full of joy and new experience, knowing new things about life and exploring the world, But nowadays child abuse and neglect are dangerous social problems. It affects the whole life of victims, their families, and society.
Child Abuse and neglect are any acts by the caregiver or parents that result in death, serious physical or emotional harm sexual abuse, or exploitation. It involves encouraging children to behave in a sexually inappropriate way. Neglect is a failure to provide basic needs food, clothing, shelter, and depriving children of emotional help. Its types involve physical, emotional, medical, and educational neglect. Its causes involve violence, poverty, parental history, lack of education, mental and physical illness, lack of parenting skills, and domestic violence. Its effects involve psychological problems, personality disorder, increase risk of later suicide, depression, no-communication, drug abuse, low self-esteem, lower I.Q level, learning difficulties, behavioral changes, and trauma. We should take precautionary measures to stop child abuse and neglect parents should take care of children, respect them, promote programs of awareness about child abuse and neglect, monitor your child’s everyday activity example television programs, internet use, interaction with other children and give awareness to kids that how to make themselves secure in this dangerous world. We volunteer at a local child abuse program and always try to report suspected cases.
Child Abuse and Neglect in Pakistan:
It is difficult to manage such cases in low-income countries like Pakistan. In Pakistan child, sexual abuse rate in between January and June 2019 was seven children per day while in India in 2018, it was 109 children every day reported as a victim of child abuse and neglect. In Kasur on 17 October 2018, a child name Zaynab of 6 years was a victim of sexual assault and was died, Farishta was another victim of abuse and neglect.
In Pakistan several NGOs are working for children’s safety, one of them is Sahil working since 1996 and PAHCHAAN is working since 2005. In 1948 UNICEF’s first office was started in Pakistan. It is working with the collaboration of social welfare and special Education Department and UN agencies to protect children.
Covid-19 and Child Abuse and Neglect:
It is observed that child abuse and neglect can increase during the epidemic and natural disasters 80% of the time preparators of sexual abuse are someone, no stranger to the child. During coronavirus holidays sometimes children visit their relatives or acquaintance which can raise chances of sexual abuse especially to children whose parents already have mental and physical health problems, those children have more chances to be emotionally disturbed because of financial and medical problems. To make them secure the first caregiver should be in mental and physical wellbeing and trained how to tackle the situation. For engaging children in studies, schools are working best as they have started virtual classes. Parents should also engage their children in activities, online summer programs, courses, drawing, and monitor them during watching videos and television. But we should also worry about children being neglected due to their parents’ mental health, child labor, and child beggars. Awareness on television is the way to save society from child abuse and neglect.
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