Child abuse is any behavior that harms a child. The effects of abuse on child are serious and longlasting.it is a leading cause of emotional, behavioral, and health problems across the lifespan. Any act or series of acts of commission or omission by a parent, guardian, caregiver or another person in custodial role that results in harm, potential for harm or threat of harm to a child.
The effects of abuse on child are serious and long-lasting. Child abuse can take many forms including physical, sexual, emotional, bullying, neglect abuse. In many cases Child abuse is done by someone the child knows and trust often a parent or other relative. If we suspect child abuse, we want to report the abuse to proper authorities.
“Childhood should be carefree, playing in the sun; not living a nightmare in the darkness of the soul.” (Dave Pelzer)
Child abuse is a social and public health problem. It is a wide range of adverse consequences for children and young people. This article provides an overview of the possible effects of child abuse. The interaction between parent and a child maybe distant, with the child appearing fearful, or the child may cling to or run to the abusive parent for comfort, protection or support.
It’s not been long that the case of Baby Zainab from Quasar, a city in Punjab made the headlines in the media. It’s not enough from abusers, 200 more cases of sexual abuse from the same city.
In the past few years in Pakistan there are so many cases of child abuse reported in the media. The concerns over rising incidence of child abuse have received global attention.
A number of national and international organization have shown serious concerns and are demanding to tackle the issues of child protection.
Child abuse can take many forms.
Physical abuse: The World Health Organization (WHO) defines child abuse as any act that causes physical harm to the child. The type of injuries, including sever beating, shaking, burns, fractures.
Child Sexual Abuse (CSA): CSA is the involvement of children in sexual activity which they cannot fully comprehend as they are developmentally and immature and unprepared for it.
Without physical contact: it includes passing of sexual comments or verbal sexual abuse.
With physical contact: it includes kissing, hugging or touching in a sexual abuse, fondling and oral sex.
Child abuse are of global prevalence. Globally 500 million 1.5 million children suffered violence every year, 73 to 150 million girls are subjected to abuse every year. In India, a neighboring country with similar socio-cultural background reported the two thirds’ children are beaten at home, schools every year. 52% are admitted some form of sexual abuse.
Sahil an NGO, monitored 91 National and Local newspapers in which a total of 3445 cases of child abuse were reported in the year 2017.
Child Protection: child protection is a concept that aims to safeguard children from physical and sexual abuse and effects of war. Child protection is about “Protecting every right of every children”. Pakistan is both nationally and internationally committed to fully protect the rights of its children’s.
EFFECTS: Children who suffer abuse or neglect are more likely to have an emotional disturbance. Their internal feeling, emotion and their inner self become weak and feel lonely and often share their pains with others because they also developed trust related problems. Children also develop the feeling of abasement, abhorrence, anguish, melancholy and acerbity and there is a greater chance that these all feeling may lead to attempt suicide because of inner dissatisfaction.
Because of the abuse suffer by children they may have a physical mark like that of burning, carving, wounds, mental illness and many more serious injuries and harms which may be as severe that they can lead to death. So, the children that become the victims of child abuse are not physically well as well as their mental state also suffers because of the physical health.
They are not well groomed because of the provided environment so they do have a well-developed personality. The abuse children have fewer friends because they do not like to be social and they are not ambitious. They don’t have a fixed goal in their life. They have a feeling of self-blame, shame and stigmatization. Child abuse victims may suffers insecure and disorganized attachment with their primary caregiver.
As normally the parents are the primary caregiver and they have a deep and a closer attachment with their children but for the children who suffers child abuse the parents becomes the source of harm and threat so that they do not developed a interpersonal relation with their children .Children do not share their feelings with parents and become deep tensed which may have a negative consequences on the personality as well as their social and personal life.
Conclusions: Child abuse is a maltreatment which is violent and threatening for a child. It is a serious problem that have long lasting effects not only on the children but also the families and even the generations. The impact of child abuse may be in term of physical, psychological, behavioral ,and emotional.
The children are suffering from this issue and developing a negative behavioral which is harmful for them as well as for the society .the outcomes of child abuse are much adverse which develop an uncomfortable environment all over the surrounding.
As it is a serious problem but the government have not looking into it precisely and therefore is is widely spreading .It is the duty of the government to have an austere and deep look over it in order to resolve it and to save the children as they are the future of a country .It is necessary to develop preventive programs and enforce legal ramifications.