One out of every five children in India may be subjected to abuse and rape while you are here lounging around and binge-watching and it’s no longer funny!
According to the 2019 annual report of the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), approximately 30000 rape cases were registered across the country, or an average of 80 cases daily. The most heartbreaking thing is that over 30,000 rapes were committed by perpetrators who were very much known to the victims. This gives us a good example that we should not believe anyone, not even the parents!
Let’s begin from the first.
What actually is child abuse?
The physical, psychological, or sexual maltreatment or neglect of a child is termed child abuse. And it can happen at the hands of a parent, a close relative, a caregiver, or anyone.
The Causes of Child Abuse:
1. Domestic Violence
Children who are part of households’ work and those who are working in shops are very much prone to becoming victims of domestic abuse. Men who abuse their female partners, in particular, are also accountable for harming their children at home.
2.Alcohol and Drug Abuse
Parents who have a history of alcohol and drug abuse can be held responsible for child abuse. An alcoholic or drug-abusing parent is more likely to initiate child abuse when the child is under five years old.
3.Lack of parenting
A parent who is suffering from depression themselves can be unavailable for the child. A parent’s suffering is often the cause of subjecting a child to abuse. Lack of parenting is the most frequent cause of child abuse. We say it all starts at home. What if the home is not a safe place to live?
4.Stress and Lack of Support
Many children face psychological mistreatment when their parents are under stress. They are beaten to death.
“We are all responsible for stopping child abuse.”
Stop pointing the finger at the abuse victim as the root of the problem. How can we put the blame on the victim for their clothing choice? Is this not wrong? Is the garment alone enough to make a 5-year-old child vulnerable to abuse?
Let’s show the kids how to look at other people and demonstrate respect for others. Let’s instruct them that the other gender is nothing more than another human being who shares their blood, flesh, and heart.
Educate children about “good and bad touch”. Educate about “sex education”. Let the boys know about menstruation and the pain they cause. Stop treating menstruation as a taboo.
Not just girls are vulnerable to abuse. Boys are equally susceptible to it.
Over 30% of the abuse reported recently involves boys. Abuse, as we all know, has no gender. Both boys and girls need to be taken care of. We need to hear from both and protect both. In the end, they are just children with unfulfilled dreams.
Isn’t it fair that a child of 5 years old dies from abuse when he/she does not even know what the world is? What would be their mindset after that? Will they think the world is full of demons?
Let us work together to break down the barrier that this child erected. Let us give them the courage to speak out loud. They are to be heard. They are to be loved more. It’s not them to be ashamed of. The ones who committed the crimes ought to feel bad.
They are still a prisoner of their childhood, attempting to create a new life, while they re encounter the trauma again. It’s our duty to help them transform from victim to survivor to Thriver.
To all the victims over there,
You are not a victim; rather, you are a survivor. You are not wrong. You are not the one to be blamed. You are still the same human and you always will be. Bounce back. We are all together with you!
Happy reading !
