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Child abuse is a global problem that affects both boys and girls. It has existed for centuries and can be deeply rooted in cultural, economic and social practices. It can be inflicted by both men and women, as well as children themselves.
There are many ways which child abuse is perpetrated. Some forms that may not be immediately obvious include:
· child labour, such as working in sweat shops and as prostitutes;
· boys being kidnapped and forced into armed conflict as child soldiers;
· severe corporal punishment in schools;
· contracting HIV/AIDS from a parent or being orphaned and ostracised due to it;
· parents not providing children with access to medical services or education;
· disciplining using physical means;
· witnessing domestic violence within a household;
· bonded slavery and/or labour due to the dowry system; and
· the favouring of one child over another, especially in relation to gender.
There are a wide variety of factors that contribute to child abuse. An example of this breadth can be seen in India where child abuse is considered endemic and is perpetuated through the caste system. The Dalit population, which are the lowest of the castes, are often victimised and exploited due to their lack of societal standing and community involvement. Although the caste system has been officially outlawed by the Indian Government, the reality is that caste-based practices and traditions still exist and, as such, contribute significantly to child abuse in that country.
More general reasons why child abuse occur relate to aspects such as substance abuse, unemployment, financial difficulties, familial problems, unwanted births and gender and social inequality. Those children living in poverty are particularly vulnerable and at greater risk of child abuse and exploitation than those not.
The same applies to children in war zones and those affected by natural disasters, such as floods, cyclones or drought. This is because of the circumstances that they find themselves in; children can become more trusting when faced with dire situations and it is this susceptibility that is exploitable and can lead to abuse.
Traditions and cultures which encourage large families can place stress on the family unit and directly lead to neglect, especially where resources within the unit are limited or lacking. In countries such as Pakistan, where the average number of children per family is more than five (De Silva 2003, p. 1), there can be disparity between boys and girls in terms of such basic needs as nutrition and access to health services when required. This is due to the poverty that pervades the country, as well as the male-centred culture within Pakistan.
The following statistics present an overall perspective of global child abuse:
· According to the World Health Organisation (2010), up to half of all children report being physically abused.
· Although numbers are unreliable, an estimated 1.2 million children were trafficked during 2000 (International Labour Organization 2009, p. 34).
· The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) (2011a) estimates that 1 million children enter the commercial global child sex trade every year.
· 150 million children aged between 5 and 14 across the world are involved in child labour (United Nations Children’s Fund 2011b, p. 33), including over 1.5 million in Cambodia alone (Lasallian Foundation 2011, p. 25).
· 1 in 7 girls will experience some form of sexual abuse during their childhood.
Instances of child abuse never take into consideration the boy or girl to whom the abuse is happening. The mistreatment of children does not occur with any thought of consequence, either. If child abuse begins at an early age, then it can become systematic and remain so for many years.
Prolonged abuse as a child can lead to further problems once a child reaches adulthood. Someone abused as a child may also abuse children, as well as have mental health issues and substance dependency problems in their later life.
Emotional abuse is mistreatment that is not always apparent and is difficult to define easily. It includes actions from caregivers such as verbally abusing children, degrading them in front of others, the destruction of their personal belongings, excessive criticism of a child, humiliation of a young individual and inappropriate or continual demands on a child. Emotional abuse affects children psychologically which, in their early years, can lead to greater problems in adulthood. Constant emotional abuse can see children exhibit withdrawn behaviour, return the abuse or internalise the actions directed at them, as well as creating a lack of self-confidence in later life and a tendency to be emotionally detached.
Although children have universal rights, these are sometimes dismissed in deference to culture, tradition and society and the role that some children are expected to perform in this context. Aspects such as child labour can be seen as benefiting families and communities over and above the mistreatment that such actions can bring. Where families are large, or in countries where poverty is common, sending children to work at a young age can be seen as the only way to make ends meet, even though their earnings may be small.
Every child has a right to make decisions free from external interference and without consequence to that choice. Unfortunately, this is not always the case, especially when in relation to activities and actions perpetrated by individuals whom children should respect, including parents, extended families, authorities and those in positions where there is constant contact with children.
In many developing countries, acts that may be considered child abuse are commonplace, although these are set within the social, cultural and traditional contexts in which they occur. Aspects such as child labour, child marriage, lack of access to education, physical harm by parents and inequality in nutrition between genders are seen as simply part of life by both parties.
While most child abuse occurs within families and communities, children also experience abuse and exploitation in organisations that should be providing them with support and services. Physical and emotional abuse and neglect in child-focused organisations and institutions is less systematic than family-based abuse and is usually unplanned. It is commonly due to unsatisfactory conditions, bad work practices, negligent management and poor employee screening processes.
However, child sexual abuse in organisations is usually planned and premeditated. Child sex offenders target organisations working with children in order to gain access to their victims. They seek work that provides opportunities to make contact with children and an environment where their abuse may go undetected. Child sex offenders will be attracted to organisations with inadequate recruitment practices and supervision, as this means that there is less risk of them being caught.
Over the last decade, many Western countries have enacted tougher laws against child sex offending and many child-focused organisations have implemented tighter screening practices for the staff and volunteers. These improved child protection measures have led to increasing numbers of child sex offenders moving overseas to seek work in developing countries and within development projects.
They will seek work in countries with inadequate child protection laws and law enforcement, as well as in countries where children and their families are vulnerable to exploitation, such as those in poverty. During recent responses to natural disasters and emergencies, it was widely reported that people who pose a risk to children (e.g. convicted child sex offenders) applied for positions in programs that brought them into contact with vulnerable children.
Many countries in the developing world have serious histories of systemic child abuse in all forms. Unfortunately, many children have learned that survival often means submitting to all forms of indignities and criminal acts, regardless of the consequences, and many see this behaviour as tolerable and rewarding. This means workers in the development field must be extra vigilant to ensure their own integrity.
While there are many examples of children being sexually abused by foreign offenders, there are also numerous examples of local staff and volunteers sexually abusing children in aid and development projects. As an example, in 2002, the widespread sexual abuse and exploitation of children by aid workers was exposed in West African refugee camps. It was alleged that 67 aid workers from more than 40 agencies were trading shelter, education, food and medicine for sexual favours. Most of the allegations involved male national staff who traded humanitarian commodities for sex with girls under the age of 18; it is believed that this information had been known to the relevant agencies for some time.
Another related aspect is child-sex tourism, which occurs when individuals travel overseas, usually to developing countries, for the explicit purpose of engaging in sexual acts with children. Although mainly undertaken by males, females have also been known to engage in the practice. With much of the developing world suffering from great poverty, offenders see this as an advantage for them, as payments, either monetary or material, are used as an inducement to children for sex.
There is no denying that child abuse is a great problem around the world, especially in developing countries. One of the key aspects of this is that children, who have rights just like adults, are so often caught in a vicious cycle where society, culture and tradition dictates that certain forms of abuse are merely part of life. Another is that children place great faith in individuals who are in positions where they should be caring for children and, when this faith is broken, many children do not have the capacity to properly deal with the situation. This should not be the case, of course.
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