Abuse of children is a complex international problem that seems to defy simple analysis and easy answers. To understand child abuse and exploitation, and to make an impact on the outcomes of these children, Zee Learn Limited is partnering with DNA and Arpan to launch “Unhide and seek”.
The Constitution provides for the protection of children against violation of their rights. However, abuse and exploitation is rampant in India. It cuts across caste and class divide. It’s a myth that only those who are strangers to children abuse them. Instead, the crime has been taking place within the safe confines of homes too.
What is child abuse? Is it merely violence? In fact, it is more than cuts and bruises; most of us have faced child abuse in different forms like getting scolded at by parents for not performing well in exams, or for being called names for some mistake we may have committed.
The most heinous form of child abuse is of the sexual kind. It involves exposing the child to any sexual activity - not always penetration - like fondling a child’s private parts, exposing him/her to pornography, voyeurism and exhibitionism.
It is not always easy to detect child abuse. Children who have been subject to any type of abuse either show excessive aggression, or go into a shell. They are scared to discuss their problems due to a deep sense of shame, guilt and embarrassment. Parents have to win the trust of their children to make them comfortable to discuss their problems. If an abused child confides in his/her parents, they should report the matter to an agency which can help the child out through therapy and counseling.
Children should not be left with strangers. A known person should be appointed to pick-up and drop children to school. Be alert for any talk that reveals premature sexual understanding. There is a help line, 1098, where children can get bilingual help through the country.
Watch out for DNA’s upcoming campaign on child abuse.
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