Its time we stop hiding child violence
What is child abuse?
Child abuse can be physically, emotionally, or sexually. Such as mentally torturing, harassing, abusing physically, and using violence and by many other ways is known as child abuse. Child abuse can be in the form of injury, negligent treatment, forced sexual intercourse, etc. Child abuse can take place anywhere by anyone like at home by family, at school by teachers or any other staff or student, at orphanages by any staff or employee, on the street by any person, in prison by other prisoners etc.[1]. Every day 109 children are sexually abused in India. Many people use children for prostitution and for pornography. In India both the genders are sexually abused but females are abused in greater extend. There are many places where Children are forced to work in factories or at shop or any other places which is known as child Labour. There are many cases in which the family is one who abuses the child mentally, physically, and sexually[2]. When a child is being abused, they have a fear which takes place that if something goes wrong, they will be either punished, tortured, or harassed in any form. In majority cases child abuse and child Labour is been seen in the families with poor economical background.
Consequences of child abuse:
The children who have been sexually abused hide that they have been abused because of family name and shame. Children are scared to talk because they think what others will think and react if they say they were sexually abused. In the fear what others will say they don’t tell anyone they keep it by themselves. When the child is abused physically, they are also affected mentally. Due to sexual abuse the children are often affected emotionally they get scared easily, they don’t talk much, etc. The children who are affected mentally can go into depression, violent behavior, and also suicidal thoughts[3]. As seen in urban cities child abuse is more like online harassment, bullying, blackmailing etc. whereas in rural areas we can notice that child Labour or child abuse is more likely to be female trafficking, prostitution, early marriages etc. When a child is been abused by his own family, they don’t tell anyone they suppress the thought of sharing to anybody else because they think if they will tell anyone the family member will hurt him physically or mentally.
Some cases which took place:
In one of the state of Tripura a 12-year-old girl who used to live with his father after the separation of her parents[4]. Her father used to consume alcohol at night and after that asked her remove her panty. He used to console her by telling nothing will happen and he will take care of everything. In that way her father started committing sexual intercourse with her. Her father threatened her about not to tell anyone about this otherwise he will kill her. In the fear that if she tells anyone that her father is sexually abusing her, he will kill her she didn’t tell anyone about sexual abuse. After that, her father started committing intercourse for about 10 times. The girl showed some courage and told her mother. After that, her mother filed a complaint in police station.
Measures we can take
In schools there should be one teacher who teach them about good touch and bad touch and there should be a counselor who tells them not to fear and share what is going on wrong with them. If the girl is been abused and if the Neighbour knows, they should help that child to get out of that place and stand for her so that she is not scared to share or to get help from others.
In this case two innocent children one boy and one girl was hold captive by two men. girl was brutally raped and poisoned and boy was also tortured and finally killed drowned by throwing both of them in canal[5].
It is important to teach them self-defense in school from early age. The increase in child abuse children should be physically and mentally made strong so that they can protect themselves from this kind of crime. Parents and teacher should make children understand about the crimes which takes place against them so that they can be more cautions[6].
POSCO Act:
Protection of children from sexual offences act (POSCO Act) was introduced to protect children from sexual abuse and sexual exploitation[7]. This act has been enacted to protect children from sexual assault, sexual harassment, and pornography and provide special courts of trial for such offences.
when a child is sexually abused, including penetrative and non-penetrative assault, sexual harassment and pornography or the abused child is mentally ill or when the abuse is committed by family member, police officer, teacher or doctor are all punishable in POSCO Act. The people who traffic children for sexual purpose are also punishable in this Act. In above mentioned case of sri joubansen Tripura vs the state of Tripura the girl was 12-year-old and was sexually abused by his father. Her father is punishable under POSCO Act. Protection of children from sexual offences Act helps many children get justice.
conclusion
More awareness is required against the people so that they could help the children who are part of child abuse and make necessary arrangements to bring them out of these. The places where child trafficking takes place, we should help those children to get out of that place help them give a normal life. The children who are mentally ill who is scared to share, we should make them comfortable so that they can share without any fear. More awareness on child abuse should be made in rural areas because there are some places where they are forced to undergo early marriage or child marriage. In rural area children are forced to work and because of that they don’t get proper education.
[1]Child abuse in India, HELPLINE LAW(Feb.2,2021), https://www.helplinelaw.com/employment-criminal-and-labour/caii/child-abuse-in-india.html.
[2]Child abuse and neglect, HEALTHYCHILDREN.ORG(AUG.4,2021), https://www.healthychildren.org/English/safety-prevention/at-home/Pages/What-to-Know-about-Child-Abuse.aspx.
[3] Lyden, Catherine, Uncovering Child Abuse, NURSING CENTER,
https://www.nursingcenter.com/journalarticle?Article_ID=1168384&Journal_ID=54016&Issue_ID=1168383.
[4]Sri Joubansen Tripura vs. State of Tripura, (2021) (India).
[5] Manoharan vs. state by inspector of police, (2019) 7 S.C.C 716 (India).
[6] Yvette Brazier, Recognizing Child Abuse, MEDICAL NEWS TODAY ( JUN.25,2018), https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/241532.
[7] The POSCO Act, 2012 (India).
Author: Dhrastee patel,
First year BBA LLB Navrachna university