Daily Times

It is an irony to say that the age groups which spend most of their lifetime under the supervision of their guardians are not safe from the demons of the society. The cases of child molestation and child abuse are increasing on a yearly basis like a cultural norm in different parts of a country. Everyone, from an illiterate to an educated person either wants a share or is already a part of this filthy business. For a few minutes of pleasure, these predators will go till their extreme limits without taking any consequences under consideration. This problem is not only present in third world developing countries but also in developed countries where pedophiles target children under the age of 15 either for their personal pleasure or for business gain. These people are well hidden from society and carry out their dirty operations under the radar of law and enforcement. In many cases reported around the world, it has been seen that most of the children are not safe from their neighbors, even daughters particular are not safe from their own father. Academic professionals also play a very vital role as they can easily manipulate children for their personal gain in return of good grades and if the child refuses to do so then he tries his level best to destroy the child’s career in every possible manner. This foul act has now turned into a flourishing business unit where children are being kidnapped to be sold to another person on a fixed price or dirty videos have been made that are sold to different vendors of the websites in particular.

Child sexual abuse has become a common trend around the globe and sadly, is increasing like fire in the forest, but when we talk about the scenario of Pakistan, this issue is often neglected and kept aside, considering its taboo nature. A recently published report by an NGO, Sahil reveals some of the shocking facts showcasing the progressive nature of the issue. According to the report a total of 3,832 child abuse cases have been identified in 2018 which shows an increase of 11% as compared to 3,445that were identified in 2017. The report clearly stated that out of the total cases identified, 55% girls between the age of zero to 5 years & 16 to 18 years and 45% of the boys between the ages of six to 15 are highly vulnerable to child sexual abuse by the predators. To gauge the extent of the issue, one can say that every day 10 kids are being targeted to such molesting activities. It is very sad to say that not only strangers but close relatives and teachers are also a part of this filthy act. These predators not only abuse children for their personal pleasure but they go further beyond, killing the victims in fear of accountability if the victim alerts the society and the authorities for their wrongdoings. 92 cases were reported in 2018 where the victims were killed brutally after being sexually abused.

The issue of child molestation is not only present in third world countries like Pakistan but developed countries are equally contributing to this business. The cases reported on a yearly basis are increasing at an alarming rate in western countries as well. As shown in the documentary ‘Leaving Neverland’ which was released recently. In that a celebrity as big as Michael Jackson was also a part of such wrongdoings, having a relationship with two boys, aged 7 and 10 years and sexually abusing them from time to time for his own satisfaction. In response to this documentary, the concerned authorities have taken strict actions against the possessions and publications of Michael Jackson and also made concrete amendments in the laws that held everyone involved in this business accountable.

Children who have gone through such abusive acts are said to be experienced with a higher level of depression, guilt, relationship problems and many more. Out of all the disease, depression has been found to be the most common symptoms among the survivors. Many survivors have experienced difficulty in eliminating the effect of the abuse, thus leading to negative thinking about themselves. This negativity, if persist for a longer period of time, ultimately forces the survivors to have the feeling of self-worthlessness and starts to avoid the community because they believe that they have nothing to add value in the society. If not identified and treated on an immediate basis, this feeling of guilt gets worse and ignites the urge for suicide.

Survivors often experienced shame, self-blame and found it difficult to trust someone in their adulthood. When the sexual abuse is done by an esteemed trusted individual, to whom the survivor is closely related, it may be hard for the children to rely on them for fulfilling even their essential needs. The survivors often blame themselves and start to hate their existence, spread negativity and foul messages about themselves so that they can successfully isolate themselves from society. This feeling of self-hatred often gets too extreme conditions where children or survivors harm themselves with certain objects and are highly prone to suicidal activities.

Stress and anxiety are also found out to be one of the major side-effects of childhood sexual abuse that has a longer impact on the survivors. This filthy act is extremely disturbing, frightening and can cause serious stress for a prolonged period even after the experience. Survivors of childhood sexual abuse are reported to experience a traumatic condition for the rest of their life, difficulty in facing chronic anxiety, tension, anxiety attacks, and phobias.

Children who have been a victim of sexual abuse often find it difficult to develop strong mental capabilities. The impacts of this filthy act are somehow embossed in their mind making it very hard for them to remove them from the memory. Due to which their thinking and cognitive capabilities are unable to develop like a normal person. Survivors confine themselves into a little cage which forces them to believe that they are a stain on the face of the society and not a part of this culture and its traditions. This narrow-minded thought redirects the survivors towards revenge and hatred. They either take revenge from own self by causing harm and damage using different tools and equipment or they take revenge from the society by hurting people and destroying their belongings as they believe that they are the real cause of this pain.

If we look at the role of governments in preventing such criminal activities, we don’t find any evidence where govt. took some concrete steps for eradicating this plague from society. Ironically, the higher authorities could not gauge the extent of the problem and have failed to make strict laws and a robust system against this business. The legislative body must criminalize all activities related to child sexual assault, child pornography and trafficking with severe punishments. The inadequacy of implementation is another issue that the government needs to focus on. It is in the best interest of the society that the government must create a separate national body in order to raise voice against the issue on the national level and to protect child rights. The facilities such as processing complaints and access to counseling or medical help must be made convenient for the victims as well as the survivors. At a micro level, it is the responsibility of every individual to raise awareness about this issue and to stand firmly against such indecent acts. For too long, this issue has been ignored from the national talks considering it a taboo. This is a parasite, growing on a yearly basis and destroying generations after generations.