During the last 5 years specifically one has come across a number of such cases. The victim’s age ranging from 3 to 13 years. Every time a case is heard or reported in the newspaper like most mothers especially those having a girl child I feel as if I have been violated. There is an uncontrollable anger against the culprits. The issue gets media attention for a week or so and then the case gets forgotten. Many a time the person goes scott free or is meted out a penalty and simple punishment of 3-4 years of imprisonment.
The incident that provoked me to write this piece is the recent rape of a four year old girl
I feel among crimes, the crimes against these innocent kids who become the targets of diseased individuals are the most deplorable. It usually kills the child or if ill fated to be alive leaves it to exist with this mental trauma through out its life. The anguish and helplessness felt by the parents who hold themselves responsible to protect the child cannot be described.
When sexual abuse has occurred, a child can develop a variety of distressing feelings, thoughts and behaviors. Sexually abused children end up becoming child abusers or prostitutes, or have other serious problems when they reach adulthood. Therefore this problem needs to be dealt with firmly taking into account all these perspectives.
Child sexual abuse has been reported up to 50,000 times a year, but the number of unreported instances is far greater, because the children are afraid to tell anyone what has happened, and the legal procedure for validating an episode is difficult. The problem should be identified, the abuse stopped, and the child should receive professional help. The long-term emotional and psychological damage of sexual abuse can be devastating to the child.
The girl-child is discriminated against from the earliest stages of life, through her childhood and into adulthood. In some areas of the world, men outnumber women by 5 in every 100. The reasons for this discrepancy include harmful attitudes and practices, such as female genital mutilation, son preference . . . early marriage …violence against women, sexual exploitation, sexual abuse, discrimination against girls in food allocation and other practices related to health and well-being. As a result, fewer girls than boys survive into adulthood.
The unequal burden of being female begins at birth and continues throughout childhood.
Incidents of child abuse are hard facts that appear periodically in the newspapers almost every day. Children are the fountain of life and the nation’s most precious resource.
Neglect is often chronic, and it usually involves repeated incidents. It involves failing to provide what a child needs for his or her physical, psychological or emotional development and well being
Emotional abuse involves harming a child’s sense of self. It includes acts (or omissions) that result in, or place a child at risk of, serious behavioural, cognitive, emotional or mental health problems.
There are many different forms of abuse and a child may be subjected to more than one form:
Physical abuse may consist of just one incident or it may happen repeatedly. It involves deliberately using force against a child in such a way that the child is either injured or is at risk of being injured. Physical abuse includes beating, hitting, shaking, pushing, choking, biting, burning, kicking or assaulting a child with a weapon.1 It also includes holding a child under water, or any other dangerous or harmful use of force or restraint. Female genital mutilation is another form of physical abuse.
Sexual abuse and exploitation involves using a child for sexual purposes.
It has been difficult to obtain a complete picture of child abuse in Nigeria because it often remains hidden. Yet many cases of child abuse remain undisclosed, either because a child does not, or cannot, tell anyone what has happened to them, or because no one reports the abuse to the authorities.
A child who is being abused may endure the abuse for a long time before telling anyone what is happening. Some victims never tell anyone about what they have experienced.
There are many reasons why abuse may remain hidden. For example, an abuser may manipulate, bribe, coerce or threaten a child (or someone they love) to prevent them from telling anyone about the abuse. Depending on their age and stage of development, a child may not be able to communicate what has happened to them, or they may fear they will not be believed. They may be convinced that the abuse is their fault and, if they tell anyone about it, they will be punished. They may fear that they or the abuser will be removed from the home, or suffer other consequences. They may feel ashamed and want to keep the abuse secret to avoid being stigmatized or have their sexual identity questioned.
ndividuals who witness or suspect that a child is being abused may not report it because they
want to avoid the demands of becoming “involved”
Although many cases of abuse are still not reported to either police or child welfare authorities, data from police reports and child welfare authorities is still the most important source of information about child abuse.
A Noble Laureate once said we are guilty of many errors and many faults, but our worst crime is abandoning our children, neglecting the fountain of life. Many of the things we need can wait. The child cannot. Right now is the time when his/her bones are being formed; his/her blood is being made… To him/her we cannot answer “Tomorrow.” His/her name is “Today”.
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Queen "Cynosure" Ebong
