Violence–physical and psychological–against children is a phenomenon happening worldwide. Children are deprived of care; basic social services; health care and education. They face child abuse, neglect, exploitation, forced begging and child trafficking. Children are still one of the most risked social groups.
Although the consequences may vary, according to the type and severity of the violence, the short and long-term consequences for children are very serious, destructive and costly. The laws that protect children’s rights are seldom found effective.
Child abuse takes a variety of forms and is influenced by a variety of factors, including individual characteristics of the victim and child abusers. Acceptance of child abuse is also an important factor. Both children and abusers may accept physical, sexual and psychological violence as inevitable and normal. Discipline, through physical and humiliating punishments, bullying and sexual harassment, is often perceived as normal, especially when it does not result in “visible” or lasting harm.
Suffering children are invisible when cases of abuse or neglect are not claimed. In certain situations, people do not trust the police, social services and other state authorities. In the current period, more than ever, to prevent any unsuitable behaviour, it must be well justified and financially prepared.
Discipline, through physical and humiliating punishments, bullying and sexual harassment, is often perceived as normal
There is little information available about the global economic costs of violence against children. However, the bill for such actions against children proves to be high. The variety of short and long term consequences associated with violence against children suggests that there are significant economic costs. Thus, in the US, the cost of abuse and neglect was about 103.8 billion USD in 2007. The estimated annual cost of child abuse and neglect in the US for 2008 was $124 billion. These included both direct costs, associated with early intervention, medical treatment and psychological trauma, and indirect consequences, related to long-term ill-treatment at individual and societal levels. Also in Pakistan, 81 per cent of children are being violently ill-treated.
As it is said, children are the beauty of any family, any nation and any country. A home is a garden and children are its beautiful flowers. No garden is beautiful without flowers. And no home is happy without the sound of children. Children are future-builders of any nation and any country. But, unfortunately, in Pakistan, children are being tortured and beaten. This is happening by those who are known to be the guides of the children. If the guide becomes executioner, what remains of the future of children. No teacher can beat the children. Beating children is a crime in the world. But there is no such law in Pakistan against students’ violence.
No country’s law allows anyone to beat children. And, recently on February 13, 2020, the Islamabad High Court issued a reminder that the use of violence against children was against the values of inviolability and dignity, as included in the constitution. We are included in many international agreements. Pakistan is a signatory to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, which hinders all forms of corporal punishment. Article 19 is one such convention that clearly states that member nations must “take all appropriate legislative, management, social and educational measures to protect the children from all forms of violence.”
However, scientific research on such punishments for children are dissimilar from the age-old-myths about disciplinary action passed down generations and accepted without any question. The vast majority of research on the topic finds that children being raised in households’ that practice corporal punishment, internalise feelings of mistrust at a vulnerable age.
It is time to break free of the cycle of abuse. Also, the UN Committee on the Rights of the Children, in its concluding observations and recommendations adopted in June 2016, urged the Government of Pakistan to eradicate and prohibit all forms of corporal punishment. It also recommended undertaking awareness-raising campaigns on the harmful effect of corporal punishment to change the general attitude towards the practice and promote positive, non-violent and participatory forms of child-rearing and discipline.
Similarly, Sustainable Development Goal 16.2 (end abuse, exploitation, trafficking and all forms of violence and torture against children) also calls upon the governments to eradicate violence and torture against children. Therefore, it is recommended that the government should come up with a comprehensive strategy to deal with the issue of violence against children. Similarly, the Sindh Prohibition of Corporal Punishment Bill and all other prohibition of corporal punishment bills should be immediately enacted. After all, children should be treated with love and care!
The writer is interested in child protection and social issues