The Beginning
The Women’s World Summit Foundation, an NGO coalition of women and children organizations, launched in 2001 an international coalition to call attention and mark the World Day with events and activities to mobilize and educate governments and societies to take action to prevent child abuse. APA, through the International Office, has joined the coalition and has also marked the day, November 19th, as the International Day for Prevention of Child Abuse.
What is child maltreatment?
It is an adult’s action or failure to take action that results in the physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, neglect and medical neglect of a child or presents a risk to seriously harm a child.
Emotional abuse is one of the most common and harmful forms of child maltreatment and can have a lifelong impact -- affecting children’s ability to feel safe and loved, the way they relate to others, and their self-esteem. It includes:
· Making fun of a child
· Name calling
· Always finding fault
· Using harsh words to criticize behaviors
· Using fear to control behavior
Why Child Maltreatment Happens
There are many reasons and factors that make adults maltreat children. Can be parents being totally unaware of the magnitude of force they use while striking a child. Or is the lack of knowledge about alternative positive discipline methods resulting in frequent use of inappropriate and harsh discipline such as physical punishment. Contributing factors of child abuse include:
· The parent was abused as a child and is continuing the cycle
· Lack of parenting skills
· Unrealistic expectations about children's behavior and capabilities
· Difficulty to control and manage anger feelings and stress
· Frequent family crises
· Drug or alcohol abuse
We know that parents want the best for their children and don’t want to hurt them. But some end up maltreating their children out of frustration due to a lack of knowledge about what children are capable of doing and understanding at different ages; also some lack skills and strategies to discipline and respond to the children’s difficult behaviors in age appropriate ways.
To stop the abuse and prevent its consequences on children’s lives, families need to become aware of how they’re treating their children. They also need to know how damaging their behavior is and the consequences for their children. Children who are exposed to violence early in life are more likely to become abusers later, have health problems, be depressed, have low self esteem, and fail in the school. Parents who maltreat their children may need help from an outside source, such as a parenting education program, a psychologist or some other type of mental health counselor or a member of the clergy.
Prevention of Child maltreatment
Decades of research have shown that effective parenting is the most powerful way to prevent behavior problems in the adolescence years. We also know that the early years are a critical period in a child's life when children learn basic interpersonal skills, problem-solving, and self-control. It is a good time for families to learn how to teach children positive behavior and the skills needed to get along with others. Teach children to control and express anger and to resolve conflicts in non violent ways. Children learn by imitation and observation and one of the primary ways of teaching young children is for adults to teach by example. Thus, adults need to learn how to control and express their own anger in nonviolent ways so their actions show young children how to behave.
For more information log on to: www.actagainstviolence.org
Communication Strategies
The World Day serves as a focal point for many governmental and nongovernmental bodies, institutions, organisations and networks, educators, experts, professionals and parents to rally a collective stand for zero tolerance of abuse and violence against children. Together, these collaborators focus on preventing child abuse, as enshrined in the third recommendation of the "World Report on Violence against Children", which is to "Prioritize Prevention". This effort revolves around non-governmental organisation (NGO) networking - joining together the efforts of those working for the dignity and rights of children. Each year, they organise regional and national activities to create a platform for information sharing and awareness raising about effective prevention and rehabilitation programmes and activities in communities. The goal is to empower organisations and the media to take responsibility for the problem of child abuse by teaching protective skills and by exposing them to local experts and those providing alternative opportunities for children in vulnerable situations. A further focus is on protective filters and guidelines for use of the internet.
Each year, the events are many and varied; further information about them is available on the WWSF website. In 2001, for instance, a public demonstration took place in front of the United Nations building; a reunion at the Temple de la Fusterie in centre city Geneva was held. Each year, there are also a number of local events designed to unite those committed to working to eliminate the problem of child abuse. WWSF's strategy in overseeing the events includes:
- involving local interventions that catalyse change (i.e. drama, dance, music, puppets, drums, storytelling, dialogue circles, etc.)
- declaring community ownership and responsibility for local events in all aspects (including financing, administration, training, etc.)
- strengthening local moral values and allowing children to be involved in programmes where appropriate
- assimilating new information and prevention programmes without jeopardising local values and language
- identifying other organisations and religious groups that will take on prevention of child abuse and rehabilitation programs.
Get more ideas at: http://www.comminit.com
Situation in Pakistan
The overall personal interests of adults dominate their children’s interests and welfare. Population of Pakistan is 160 million, of which children aged 5-14 years form about 40 million of the child population. 80% of people live in rural areas and a large majority of them in such remote lands where there is no transport system, no hospitals, no schools, especially for girls. There is no proper sanitation system. So the overwhelming problem of neglect is obvious and understandable. Most of the times a child cannot be treated properly and is shown anywhere to ease the conscience (though temporarily) maybe even to the lucky and rich nearest quack. So haste goes waste. The same child is brought later with mismanaged disease and expected sequelae for the poor doctor to handle. Is this not neglect, maybe not by the poor ignorant parents, but by the authorities and the conditions that the majority of people live in?
Long-term problems, e.g. rheumatic fever, first of all why should they still exist and be so common? No adequate measures are taken on prevention of disease. Patient compliance is lost for reasons well understood. Child with diabetes: I have seen in my hospital a child patient begging for insulin in the
hospital corridors, parents nowhere to be seen; deliberate and undeniable lack of taking responsibility by the parents and authorities. So many precious lives are lost because the problems cannot be coped with.
Mental and emotional abuse is not even recognized or even if it is, it is not voiced by a society more bothered about other mundane problems of life. Sexual abuse is not projected because of the stigma, especially in a female who will be permanently rejected by the society and even by her own kith and kin.
Moreover it has been projected as on the rise, from the few research reports published in Pakistan in this connection. Child beggars, among other so-called ‘Street Children’ … children are made to beg by organized groups. Even in a society where females are supposed to be conservative, grown up females are seen on the streets begging. Obviously and evil consequences of sexual abuse are well understood by their elders.
These groups dislike counseling of job offers or advice about education. Child labor is very common, with the estimated number of working children (ages 5 – 14 years) being 3.3 million. 3 Small children are employed in factories, shops and fieldwork. Females often work in fields and as domestic helps. They are
at risk of sexual abuse more often than young boys. Child trafficking is a well known fact. Girls are often married / sold off, while young, for money in some of the tribal areas. Child trafficking is a frequent phenomenon in the countries of Southeast Asia, with Pakistan contributing over 300,000 children to both internal trafficking and cross border trafficking to and from Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and India. Over 19,000 boy jockeys aged 2 – 11 years have been trafficked to the Middle East from Pakistan as estimated in November 2004. In western countries, predominant contributory factors to child abuse seem to be overwork, single parent child, parental discord or a child perhaps different from others. In our society, it
is large family size, lack of education, poverty, improper health system, and dangerous factors like
quackery and an overall disorganized system. There are very few shelter homes, orphanages which take care of small minority of homeless children but they cannot give them individual care and guidance.
As the problem is a vast one in a society where so many other factors are a priority, no real statistics are available as yet.
We have to open our eyes to the fact that child abuse in all its forms is unfortunately overwhelmingly greater than the mind can accept! Compulsory school education of all children is a crucial step to check this problem. Law enforcement is a must to stop child labor. Beggar organizations have to be eradicated.
Children in Pakistan are increasingly exposed to abuse, kidnapping and violence, according to a new report by a human rights organisation. The number of reported cases involving children has more than doubled from 617 in 2006 to 1,595 last year, it says.
Poor law enforcement and old social attitudes towards children's rights are some of the reasons to blame, it adds.
Pakistan remains a major conduit for the trafficking of children from South Asia to the Middle East and Europe.
Not enforced
"Children, like women, continue to be vulnerable because they are considered personal property in our feudal-minded society," says Zia Awan, chief of Lawyers for Human Rights and Legal Aid (LHRLA).
The organisation monitors and compiles cases of child abuse and kidnapping with funding from the UK-based NGO, Save the Children.
Mr Awan says a major reason for the increase in the incidents of child abuse is the fact that the issue does not figure on the agenda of the law enforcers.
"There are laws to deal with this problem, but they are not enforced. This encourages the perpetrators of these crimes."
The actual number of incidents of violence against children may run into several thousand each year, he says.
The figures in the LHRLA report are based on newspaper reports which, in turn, originate from police reports, he says.
"These are only the tip of the iceberg. More than 80% of the cases go unreported," he says.
Because of official apathy, parents of kidnapped children prefer to bargain with the kidnappers instead of going to the police.
Also, reporting child sexual abuse to the police remains a taboo in large parts of the country.
Read it in detail at: http://news.bbc.co.uk
Sexual abuse includes any kind of inappropriate exposure to sexual content, physical, visual or verbal abuse. Abuse is not just physical and can be emotional as well.
Stay tuned to Aware89, Friday 2:00pm to 3:00pm for Child Abuse Day
Coutesy Aahung
What is Aahung?
Aahung is a Karachi based non-profit organization working on improving the sexual and reproductive health of men, women and young people since 1995. To achieve this aim, Aahung engages in awareness raising, capacity building, resource development, research and advocacy.Work around child sexual abuse includes sensitization sessions with teachers and parents at schools, developing resource materials and tools such as flashcards toolkit and instructional video, developing a network of sensitized mental health professionals for referral purposes and developing a strategy for a mass awareness campaign.
Aims and Objectives
Support people without prejudice, as individuals with their own needs, constructs and experiences;
Enable individuals to develop skills to become self-reliant and overcome the challenges required to exercise their sexual rights; Maintain the highest standards of professional integrity, quality and effectiveness of programmes, through continuous self improvement; Build purposeful partnerships through sharing knowledge and experience and respecting one and others needs; Respect confidentiality and privacy of all individuals; Believe that every individual has the right to exercise control and enjoy their own sexuality in accordance with their own personal ethics; Committed to ensuring adherence to the legal framework
Aahung
Sasi Homes, G-18/6, Block 8, Clifton, Karachi, Pakistan
Telephone:(021) 587-0244 & (021) 586-7373
Fax: (021) 582-1645
Email: info@aahung.org
URL: www.aahung.org
Aahung’s toll free number which is especially for victims of CSA is 0800-80- CSA (272)
Konpal
KONPAL Child Abuse Prevention Society is an NGO working against all form of child abuse. It comprises child rights activists who share the common vision of a society free of child abuse, with zero tolerance against child sexual abuse and commercial sexual exploitation, involvement of children in hazardous occupation, armed conflicts and violence. The members are professionals from different fields who are concerned with therising incidence of abuse against children. The group is fighting for the rights of children and against all forms of abuse, neglect, maltreatment and exploitation of children.
Go to their website at:http://www.konpal.org/
You can also get more detailed informationf rom the following links:
http://www.nichd.nih.gov
http://www.nation.com.pk
http://www.apa.org