Unabated epidemic of child abuse

Sexual abuse of children has serious negative consequences on their life. The majority of children who are sexually abused may suffer from severe phychological disorders in future

“I am like an angel. My heart is like a rose.” This is the opening line of a popular song  Angel of Taher Shah, a Pakistani sensation. In this song Shah reminds us that we can all be angels. Then a Child who seems to represent the unadulterated nature of the human mind, appears in the scene of the music video. The Child at one stage loses the blonde wig, perhaps denoting a loss of innocence.  Actually children do not lose their innocence so quickly. They are the epitome of unadulterated humanity, purest of simplicity. They are both our sweetest pain and painful pleasure. This dichotomy can be explained in this way through a proverb. ‘Children are a pain in the neck when they are around and pain in the heart when they are not’. But our hearts do not ache when we misbehave with them. Are we actually behaving properly  with these angels of heaven? We are in fact showing the worst form of perversion in our behavior with children.
A girl of five was brutally raped in Dinajpur by a 42 years old man who was very much known to her. She could not imagine that a person who posed like a friend of her father could be such a perverted man.  Experts in the field of mental health and child abuse say perpetrators are like any of us and they are living around us. Anyone might be that abuser. More than 90 percent of child sexual abuse victims know their attackers. They might be close relatives, teachers and even care-givers. There is no mark or visible signs written on someone's face that he is a rapist or an abuser of small children. Child abuse takes place everywhere.  The fact is that a lot of incidences of child rape or abuse around the world are not reported because many people don't want to talk about it or disclose it. Based on retrospective studies of adults, it is estimated that only 1 in 20 cases of sexual abuse is identified by or reported to authorities in the US.
In our country recently sexual abuse of children has reached an alarming proportion. Aain  O’ Shalish Kendra reports that since  January to September this year, 466 women and children of different ages  were raped.
That is, the rate is 52 children and women on average every month. A report prepared by  Mahila Parishod collecting reports from different newspapers, says that, in October this year, 115 children and women were raped. Four were killed after rape. One Stop Crisis Centre of  DMC reports that 81 women and children were admitted into OCC last year. 25 children including a 2.5 year old child were admitted into OCC last month. This figure shows  how alarming this problem has turned out to be recently in our country.
Sexual abuse of children is a problem of epidemic proportions globally. The rate is staggering in the United States too. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in 2008 states that nearly 80,000 American children were victims of sexual abuse in 2006. American Society for the Positive Care of Children  reports of  a child abuse in every 10 seconds.1 in 3 girls  is  sexually assaulted by the time they reach 18. (Department of Justice). U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reports that more than 4 children die each day because of child abuse. Actually this problem has become a common phenomenon. There is violence on the streets and within the family.
Sexual abuse of children has serious negative consequences on their life. The majority of children who are sexually abused will be moderately to severely symptomatic of some disorder at some point in their life.
Experiencing sexual abuse creates a feeling of powerlessness in the child and leaves the child with the perception of having little control over what happens. Boys and girls cope differently with the stresses of sexual abuse. Girls are more likely to exhibit internalizing behaviors, such as depression and disordered eating. Externalizing behaviors such as delinquency and heavy drinking are more likely exhibited by boys. Both boys and girls who have been sexually abused are at increased risk for the development of depression, and this risk continues into adulthood. A history of sexual abuse places the individual at increased risk of suicide throughout the life span—childhood, adolescence, and adulthood.  Depression has been found to be the most common long-term symptom among survivors. Survivors may have difficulty in externalizing the abuse, thus thinking negatively about themselves.
After years of negative self- thoughts, survivors have feelings of worthlessness and avoid others because they believe they have nothing to offer.
Survivors often experience guilt, shame, and self-blame. It has been shown that survivors frequently take personal responsibility for the abuse. When the sexual abuse is done by an esteemed trusted adult, it may be hard for the children to view the perpetrator in a negative light. Survivors often blame themselves and internalize negative messages about themselves. Survivors tend to display more self-destructive behaviors and experience. Sexual abuse often is initiated by someone the child loves and trusts, which breaks trust and may result in the child believing that people they love will hurt them.
It is true that various laws have been in operation to protect our children from different types of abuse. Bangladesh Government enacted the new Children Act in 2013 and adopted the provision of child-friendly justice, child help desk in the police stations, separate children’s court and child development centers, national child welfare board and provision of probation officers. Recently Honorable Prime Minister inaugurated the toll free ‘Child Help Line-1098.’
In spite of all these efforts, sexual abuse of child is increasing unabatedly. Law is inadequate without societal participation. Attitude of people must change and people must be enlightened with the teaching of morality and values. Motivation for safeguarding children’s sanctity and ensuring their safety should come from family and society, community, educational institutions and religious practices.
So, first of all, we need to change our mindset and attitude to the children and women in general. Children are the extensions of the benevolent God, and they are heaven’s angels.
They return to their ancestors in heaven if they die prematurely. To quote Croft Pentz, “Our children are the only possessions we can take to heaven”. When we disturb their life, pollute their sanctity, we actually disturb the benevolent God and His Providence.

The writer teaches English language and literature at BGC Trust University Bangladesh, Chittagong

 

Unabated epidemic of child abuse

Sexual abuse of children has serious negative consequences on their life. The majority of children who are sexually abused may suffer from severe phychological disorders in future

I am like an angel. My heart is like a rose. This is the opening line of a popular song Angel of Taher Shah, a Pakistani sensation. In this song Shah reminds us that we can all be angels. Then a Child who seems to represent the unadulterated nature of the human mind, appears in the scene of the music video. The Child at one stage loses the blonde wig, perhaps denoting a loss of innocence. Actually children do not lose their innocence so quickly. They are the epitome of unadulterated humanity, purest of simplicity. They are both our sweetest pain and painful pleasure. This dichotomy can be explained in this way through a proverb. Children are a pain in the neck when they are around and pain in the heart when they are not. But our hearts do not ache when we misbehave with them. Are we actually behaving properly with these angels of heaven? We are in fact showing the worst form of perversion in our behavior with children. A girl of five was brutally raped in Dinajpur by a 42 years old man who was very much known to her. She could not imagine that a person who posed like a friend of her father could be such a perverted man. Experts in the field of mental health and child abuse say perpetrators are like any of us and they are living around us. Anyone might be that abuser. More than 90 percent of child sexual abuse victims know their attackers. They might be close relatives, teachers and even care-givers. There is no mark or visible signs written on someones face that he is a rapist or an abuser of small children. Child abuse takes place everywhere. The fact is that a lot of incidences of child rape or abuse around the world are not reported because many people dont want to talk about it or disclose it. Based on retrospective studies of adults, it is estimated that only 1 in 20 cases of sexual abuse is identified by or reported to authorities in the US. In our country recently sexual abuse of children has reached an alarming proportion. Aain O Shalish Kendra reports that since January to September this year, 466 women and children of different ages were raped. That is, the rate is 52 children and women on average every month. A report prepared by Mahila Parishod collecting reports from different newspapers, says that, in October this year, 115 children and women were raped. Four were killed after rape. One Stop Crisis Centre of DMC reports that 81 women and children were admitted into OCC last year. 25 children including a 2.5 year old child were admitted into OCC last month. This figure shows how alarming this problem has turned out to be recently in our country. Sexual abuse of children is a problem of epidemic proportions globally. The rate is staggering in the United States too. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in 2008 states that nearly 80,000 American children were victims of sexual abuse in 2006. American Society for the Positive Care of Children reports of a child abuse in every 10 seconds.1 in 3 girls is sexually assaulted by the time they reach 18. (Department of Justice). U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reports that more than 4 children die each day because of child abuse. Actually this problem has become a common phenomenon. There is violence on the streets and within the family. Sexual abuse of children has serious negative consequences on their life. The majority of children who are sexually abused will be moderately to severely symptomatic of some disorder at some point in their life. Experiencing sexual abuse creates a feeling of powerlessness in the child and leaves the child with the perception of having little control over what happens. Boys and girls cope differently with the stresses of sexual abuse. Girls are more likely to exhibit internalizing behaviors, such as depression and disordered eating. Externalizing behaviors such as delinquency and heavy drinking are more likely exhibited by boys. Both boys and girls who have been sexually abused are at increased risk for the development of depression, and this risk continues into adulthood. A history of sexual abuse places the individual at increased risk of suicide throughout the life spanchildhood, adolescence, and adulthood. Depression has been found to be the most common long-term symptom among survivors. Survivors may have difficulty in externalizing the abuse, thus thinking negatively about themselves. After years of negative self- thoughts, survivors have feelings of worthlessness and avoid others because they believe they have nothing to offer. Survivors often experience guilt, shame, and self-blame. It has been shown that survivors frequently take personal responsibility for the abuse. When the sexual abuse is done by an esteemed trusted adult, it may be hard for the children to view the perpetrator in a negative light. Survivors often blame themselves and internalize negative messages about themselves. Survivors tend to display more self-destructive behaviors and experience. Sexual abuse often is initiated by someone the child loves and trusts, which breaks trust and may result in the child believing that people they love will hurt them. It is true that various laws have been in operation to protect our children from different types of abuse. Bangladesh Government enacted the new Children Act in 2013 and adopted the provision of child-friendly justice, child help desk in the police stations, separate childrens court and child development centers, national child welfare board and provision of probation officers. Recently Honorable Prime Minister inaugurated the toll free Child Help Line-1098. In spite of all these efforts, sexual abuse of child is increasing unabatedly. Law is inadequate without societal participation. Attitude of people must change and people must be enlightened with the teaching of morality and values. Motivation for safeguarding childrens sanctity and ensuring their safety should come from family and society, community, educational institutions and religious practices. So, first of all, we need to change our mindset and attitude to the children and women in general. Children are the extensions of the benevolent God, and they are heavens angels. They return to their ancestors in heaven if they die prematurely. To quote Croft Pentz, Our children are the only possessions we can take to heaven. When we disturb their life, pollute their sanctity, we actually disturb the benevolent God and His Providence. The writer teaches English language and literature at BGC Trust University Bangladesh, Chittagong