Child Sexual Abuse

Silence is not the solution. Raise your voice against violence, abuse, and harassment. Your silence is only giving more confidence to the criminal.

Our children mean the world to us. We nurture them, love them, look after them and try to give them the best of everything. It is so unfortunate to see when people try to hurt little ones in a way man can never imagine. Sexually abusing small children in the most horrific ways, is something we hear in the news and never want to witness it but this is a reality!
Of all the creatures in the world, how can someone even think of causing harm to someone of such tender age and innocent mind? It completely shatters the child’s mind and body. It can lead a terrible trauma for him/her for the rest of his/her life. Parents are devastated and helpless. I sincerely request the government to take serve action against the culprits.

Teach your children

As parents, we need to equip our children with knowledge and strategies to keep themselves protected. You must tell your kids how to stay away from trouble. Here are a few things you must teach your children from the age of 3 or 4 years:

• Do not talk to strangers
• Do not shake hands and/or touch a stranger or let any stranger touch you
• Always stay in close proximity of adults (i.e. mother, father, grandparents) when in a new surrounding
• Immediately inform parents about any unusual behavior of a stranger and even domestic servants

As a parent please keep an eye on your domestic servants at home. Do not let your child stay alone with them for more than 5 minutes. Do not send your little ones with drivers to schools or on long routes. Please watch this video. This is a common problem that prevails in our society:

Our children are quite observant and much more mature than us due to information and technology advancements. Please talk to your elder ones openly about this issue. Do not shy away as this is a serious problem that can negatively impact your child’s physical and mental health.

Government’s role

According to Daily Times (2019):

 “For 2018, a total of 2,322 cases of child sexual abuse were reported between January and June from all over Pakistan which is a 32% increase in the cases as compared to 2017.”

The government needs to take the following steps:

• Strict punishment against those who commit such an offense
• Ensure adult education where people from the lower and middle-income group are educated about basic human rights and how they can raise their voice against child abuse in any form
• People who commit such a crime must be treated medically. They are either psychologically or physically unwell and therefore commit such a horrendous crime! No person in his normal senses can treat innocent children in such a barbaric manner.

Education is the key to creating and maintaining a civilized society. We must provide free education to all ages and especially lower-income groups where they are taught basic things such as identifying a mentally/psychologically sick person, self-defense, the difference between a friendly person and an over-friendly person, confidence-building of women and children so that they can fight for their rights.

Organizations working for this cause

There are many organizations working in Pakistan that are supporting people who have faced such trauma. One is AASHA. It provides awareness and helps the public and private sector in eradicating sexual harassment from society. Visit their website at https://aasha.org.pk/about_aasha.php
Another organization, Sahil has been operating since 1996 for child protection. It has offices in Islamabad, Abbottabad, Jaffarabad, Lahore, and Sukkur. Its official website: https://sahil.org/

May Allah keep our children safe and healthy! Ameen!