SAHAR ZAREEN KHAN
Pakistan has a complex society structure which has multi dimensional issues. Over population, poverty, low literacy rate and a developing economy has given birth to many crimes in the society like extortion, human trafficking, Narcotics smuggling etc. But the most devastating part is the cruelty with children. This heinous crime of child abuse is a stigma at our country’s name. Nowadays whenever any newspaper or TV channel is opened there is news of baby girls or minor boys raped by a paedophile.
In recent years the ratio of such cases has horribly increased. In such incidents, some are relentlessly murdered with their body parts even mutilated. Some luckily survive but the trauma they face is so shattering that for the rest of their lives they are stuck in physical and psychological problems.
In sexual abuse, the health issues which they normally encounter are gastrointestinal disorders, gynecological disorders and somatization, while psychological and behavioral symptoms include anxiety, low self stem, PTSD, cognitive impairments, body image concerns, substance abuse, self harming and many other issues. The adult offenders target little kids because they are vulnerable. The criminals involved in such type of activities have got serious type of mental disease called pedophilia in which a person experiences a primary or exclusive sexual attraction towards children. But this disease is of such type that mostly it is unnoticed.
That’s the reason the in most of the cases, the offenders are either from close relatives or neighbours or acquaintances. In such type of fiduciary relationships it is very difficult to spot a pedophile. The best possible solution is to take care of your kids as it is the primal solution to save them. We need to develop a relationship with our kids which are more than a mere role of a parent or sibling. We need to educate our kids to make them realize that touching their private parts even just body touch with someone is something really serious. We need to make them understand to never allow anyone to have physical contact with them, make them realise them that never respond to any stranger even the relatives who show extra love, care and sympathies to them and offer them chocolate or other stuff kids really love. We need to encourage them to trust us by being friendly and assure them that they are supposed to trust their parents only. We have to take precautionary measures and keep monitoring their daily routine. Just take care of your child because you definitely never want to lose them. We must remember that no authority or force can guard your kids. Only you who can save your child. We need to save our children from such evils as they are our future.
The Author is a social media activist. She can be contacted at [email protected]
