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Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Child Abuse:Break the silence
"Child abuse casts a shadow the length of a lifetime" -Herbert Ward

Child Abuse is as common as it is shocking.Each year,thousands of children suffer from some kind of abuse whether it is physical,emotional or sexual leaving them scared for lifetime. Sexual abuse is heinous of them all and is a major problem in all countries particularly India. Lack of proper laws and lack of awareness on the subject causes criminals to walk scott free.

Most of the time the abusers are the ones whom you know and the child is supposed to trust, some relative,a friend,a caregiver,a neighbor, a teacher,coach or someone you religiously trust. A child in the fear of you not believing him or will be angry,choose not to speak, taking all the aftermath on him.And if in case,he or she choses to speak,you in the fear of embarrassment leave this topic unheard as if nothing has happened leading to double trauma for your child. Its you who can bring change and solace to the life of your child. No matter how big a scar is,proper nurture can heal it.

Come to terms with reality and realize before giving in to any societal pressure,that nothing is more important than your child's well being and I am not just talking about the physical well being.He needs to be cared for his emotional and psychological well being too.

Before going into the ways of handling it, I want you to always remember that Sexual abuse is never a child's fault.You need to believe that no matter what the adult says in his or her defense,the child does not invite sexual activity and the adult behavior is wrong.
  • Bring confidence in your child that you believe him no matter what.
  • Don't be angry if he comes up with any problem related or unrelated to this subject so that he feels free to approach you.
  • Encourage him to share with you if someone inappropriately touches him or forces him to undress,spies on him in bathroom or bedroom, exposes to adult material or exploits in anyway.
  • Along with encouraging an open talk,keep a close eye on behavior of your child,he suddenly becomes silent,starts remaining aloof, does not like to be in company of a particular person,afraid of being around a particular person.
  • These days,abusers do not even spare infants because they are easy targets and don't speak. So be alert and attentive when your baby is with a so called known person alone. I am not saying that you should start doubting every other person around but at least don't trust blindly.
  • And if unfortunately something happens with your child,please be there for him or her.Do not hush up. Confront the person and take him to task.
  • Fathers should teach their boys how to treat girls.Boys pick up habits from their fathers,coaches so be an example and show them how to respect a women and not outrage their modesty.
Remember,you did not took the pains and fathers you did not waited endlessly to bring your child into the world to make him or her suffer for lifetime. So stand up against this evil and break the silence.

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posted by Jaanvi at 1:26 PM

2 Comments:
Blogger Hazel said...

hi,thanks for visiting my blog. can we exchange link?

July 18, 2008 at 10:26 AM  
Blogger Jaanvi said...

ya sure...I have already added you in my list of favourites... :)

July 18, 2008 at 1:10 PM  

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