Written By Gamila Ahmed

Unfortunately, in every society around the world, children are exposed to violence and abuse. Children suffer from all kinds of abuse, especially when a society is involved in crisis such as wars.

Child Abuse is defined as “the harming, whether physically, emotionally, or sexually, ill treatment, abuse, neglect or deprivation of any child or young person.”

There are many studies that indicate and confirm that the children facing harassment in their life across different societies and cultures across the globe. For example, in 2012, about 1640 children died in the United States due to neglect or abuse, about three-quarters of whom were under the age of three; Furthermore, about 70% of these children were victims of neglect, 44% were victims of physical abuse that occurred with or without other forms of abuse. It is very unfortunate that about 80% of the perpetrators were one or both parents. More than 25% of deaths were caused by the mother acting alone.

It may come as a shock, but a staggering 75% children face some form of abuse every year. We are all responsible to take care of our children and protect them from any form of abuse.

What are the types of child abuse?

• Physical abuse: examples are hitting, shaking, choking, smothering, throwing, biting, using physical restraints, etc.
• Sexual abuse: happens when an adult, teenager or another child use their power to involve another child in sexual activity. Examples are:
  • Kissing or holding a child in a sexual way
  • Exposing a child to genitals
  • Talking in a sexual way not appropriate to the child’s age
  • Persistently intruding on a child’s privacy
  • Oral sex, rape, incest, child prostitution, etc.
• Emotional abuse: includes but not limited to the followings:
  • Rejection
  • Name calling, teasing, or bullying
  • Yelling
  • Inappropriate and unhealthy criticism
  • Isolation or locking up a child for extended periods of time
  • Exposure to domestic and family violence.
• Child Neglect: happens when parents do not meet the children’s basic needs which negatively affects their health and development. Examples include food, housing, clean living conditions, health care, adequate clothing, personal hygiene, adequate supervision, etc.
• Online abuse: cyberbullying, Cyber harassment, and Internet predators: With the rise in the use of electronic devices and the internet among young children, cyber bullying and online sexual predators are also on the rise. This is more alarming now since the COVID pandemic has changed the way children spend their time throughout the day. It is important for parents to constantly monitor their children’s online activities. Online abuse is as hurtful as other forms of abuse. Children can be bullied online which could potentially lead to psychological issues such as isolation, depression, suicidal thoughts, etc. Also, children could unintentionally fall into the trap of sexual abuse by internet sexual predators.

There are several reasons behind child abuse including:

• Economic reasons: such as difficult economic conditions, increasing rates of poverty and unemployment.
• Social reasons: such as family disintegration, marital disputes, large family size, drug addiction which could potentially lead to homelessness and loss of children.
• Misconceptions about upbringing methods: which are based on the idea of “good upbringing” requires the use of physical or verbal punishment.
• Media and programs that encourage violence: Many media content developed for children are full of violence which could potentially lead to increased violence and bullying among children.

How to act:

 (parents or the person who responsible to protect and help and support the child in time).

If you discover or suspect that a child has been subjected to violence or any other form of child abuse, you should:

• listen, encourage, and reassure the child that you are not there to punish or judge them and rather you want to help and protect them.
• Ask more if you feel that the child’s words hide a deeper problem.
• make the child know that you will not be able not to tell anyone if keeping the secret will harm them.
• The parents should be alert when the child speaks about what happened to them and be careful not to discuss with them the violence that they had been exposed to in front of others.
• Reach out for professional support such as counseling services.