+011 414 86 022 | 
-Ms. Dyuti Vij
Mostly all parents and adults go to all lengths to protect their children, which is why, the last thing anyone of us imagines is for children to be abused. It is tragic and appalling to be a part of a world where the most tender, innocent, pure, care-free beings are abused and deprived of their childhood. Each and every child is entitled to a childhood which is filled with laughter, fun and their childhood should not turn into a nightmare. It is immeasurably disheartening to know that at such a young age, children are targeted by known/ unknown perpetrators. They feed on their innocence and naivety to exploit them mentally, physically or sexually.
Child Abuse is a ubiquitous sin which has lifelong ramifications on the children who are abused. Child Abuse is a deep-rooted heinous act, which harms the well-being of the child and/or puts the child at risk. Making a child feel worthless is also a form of Child Abuse. As defined by WHO, Child Abuse or maltreatment constitutes all forms of physical and/or emotional ill-treatment, sexual abuse, neglect, negligence and commercial or other exploitation, which results in actual or potential harm to the child’s health, survival, development or dignity in the context of a relationship of responsibility, trust or power.
Any kind of abuse leaves a deep and an eternal scar on the child whether the child displays it explicitly or not. Child Abuse should never be brushed under the carpet thinking that the child would not remember the particular incident(s) of abuse. A child who has been abused, often blames it upon himself/herself for being abused and undergoes immense emotional turmoil. Hence, it is extremely pertinent to address the issue of Child Abuse and, further, support the children who have been abused and help them heal. Child Abuse has a crucial bearing on the child physically, psychologically and behaviourally. A child who has been abused is likely to develop feelings of fear, isolation, distrust, depression, anxiety etc.
Child Abuse violates all the rights of a child and most sadly many children do not even know that their rights have been violated and, hence, do not speak up, especially if they are abused at a very young age. And unfortunately, for many children the abuse becomes normal since they have been conditioned to it.
Not all child abusers are strangers. Many of them are family members or anyone the child is acquainted with. An Abused Child may not find it safe to confide in anyone and express their feelings especially if the perpetrator is someone whom the child recognises. If the perpetrator is a stranger, there is still a chance for the child to escape and/or seek help upon incident (s) of abuse. But what about a child who is abused within the 4 walls of their own home? Where can they seek help then?
All human beings in general, feel the safest in their own homes, which is why the lockdown for the fight against Coronavirus is helpful. While a large number of people around the world are confined in their homes and have physical and emotional support from family members in these challenging times, yet, no one seems to have paid attention to children who are confined in their homes with their abusers with no ray of hope for escaping or seeking help. In an attempt to save human beings, we have perhaps, overlooked the most vulnerable group of humans and put them at risk by keeping them in prolonged captivity. If the dysfunction is within the child’s house, the frequency of Child Abuse rises because of the lockdown. If a child is being abused at home then his/ her school, being around his/her friends usually helps in providing solace to the child since the environment is not abusive. Further, the teachers, counsellors and other well-wishers play a vital role in identifying the incidents of Child Abuse and helping children who are being abused at home. The lockdown has completely cut off the children being abused at home from their support system like the school, trusted adults and peers. The children are being separated from their well-wishers and protectors and the children who face abuse in their own homes are left with no other option but to tolerate the abuse in silence and try to cope up with it on their own.
During the lockdown period, Child Abuse cases most certainly must have increased exponentially, possibly because of the triggers such as increased stress and frustration owing to which abuser may get more emboldened for Child Abuse. Thus, this pandemic threatens the children’s rights throughout the world since during this time Child Abuse is also less likely to get detected.
On 8th April 2020, the signatories of various organisations like UNICEF, WHO, End Violence against Children, UN Women, Save the Children International, etc. extended their support to the victims of Child Abuse by undertaking to implement more measures to help the children. In India, the Childline India Helpline (1098) provides aid to all kinds of problems a child is facing and even during the lockdown period, offers all kinds of support to any child in distress. In recent times, the Childline India Helpline received approximately 1 lac calls. The period of lockdown is unknown which is why it is extremely vital that the government and judiciary should take more proactive steps with the help of NGOs and helplines to come up with immediate solutions and stringent regulations to save the children from feeling unsafe and abused in their own homes.
