Mired childhood

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By Akhtar Rasool Khan

 Childhood is a vernal season

Trim and train the tender shoot

 Love to the coming reason

 As the blossom to fruit.

Surely, no one of us would deny the fact that children are the beauty of our society. They are considered to be the lushest leaves, firmest roots and widest shades of every society.

As David Bates in above mentioned stanzas of his poem, portrays childhood as the beautiful stage of human life. The innocuous nature makes them adorable. Due to the alluring and innocent nature, every society and ever religion guides its follower to treat them indulgently.

As in Islam we have been guided to treat them courteously, “Your wealth and your children are your only trail, whereas God, with him is the great reward (paradise)” [Quran 64:15]. Islam gives special focus on children rights─ as it prescribes everyone to be kind to them. As Prophet (SAW) himself said, “Fear Allah and treat your children fairly” [Al- Bukhari and Muslim].

But nowadays, the society in which we are currently living is contrary to what we have been guided─ as mentioned earlier. They are treated harshly, seen with evil intentions and among all; the alarming point is that they are abused. What actually child abuse is?

It is corrupt practice or custom, improper treatment, language that condemns or vilifies usually unjustly, intemperately, and angrily (verbal abuse), and physical maltreatment (sexual abused) with children. Sahil Report on children sexual abuse in Pakistan shows rampant rate of child abuse.  As per report, in 2016, 694 cases were recorded throughout the country, whereas in 2017, 3445 cases were reported in newspapers. Data also reveal that 9 children were sexually abused daily among those 58% are girls and 42% are boys.

It has many causes which include lack of rigid laws; freedom to culprit ─ shortly weak immunity of society.  Apart from the afore mentioned, there are many other causative agents, which together amalgamate to pamper the havoc.  Child abuse has many terrific aftermaths on society which it haunted.  It creates lack of social order, and most importantly it has physical, psychological and behavioral impacts on the child.

The matter of concern here is how could it be controlled? It can be controlled by efforts at individual, community and national level. At individual level everyone need to raise voice against the vicious act which affects the tender heart. The children must also be given training of self defense at their educational institutions. The paramount point in this regard is that the culprit should be penalized in the way that in near future no one could dare to commit such offense.

(The writer is student at Department of Sociology, University of Peshawar).

 

 

 

1 Comment
  1. Faizu Rehman says

    Appreciated.. Keep it up.

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