Abuse and violence against children are the most agonizing and insidious type of crimes that have profoundly been entrenched in our awfully violent society due to the absence of an effective child protection mechanism. Besides continual maltreatment of children in our daily lives and violation of child rights, the recent frightening media reports – of heinous and heart-wrenching incidents of abuse and violence against children from all over the country – such as the Kasur incident, are virtually enough to paralyze one’s senses about the severity and magnitude of the calamity. The precarious and depressing state of children in our dear land calls upon an urgent attention and effort of the authorities and society to rectify.
‘World’s Development Indicators WDI 2015’ by World Bank reports that over 50 percent of Pakistan’s 200 million population lives below the poverty line i.e. two dollars a day internationally, with 5.01/10 RCRI (Realization of Children’s Rights Index), by Humanium.
The literacy rate, unlike the United Nation’s Millinium Development Goals target of 88% by 2015, stands at 58% which is 74.04% in India. Also, Pakistan has the highest rate of school exclusion rate of 51% for pre-school age children, 34.4% for primary school-age children, while 42% of its population (age 10+) remains illiterate, that also reveals huge gender and rural/urban disparities; says UNICEF.
Alif Ailaan’s new study “25 Million Broken Promises” states that “currently 25.02 million boys and girls between the ages of 5 and 16 are not in school”.
Moreover, UNICEF’s “State of World’s Children Report 2014” claims that around 35% children in Pakistan under the age five are underweight; over 50% suffer from stunted growth and around 9% from emaciation indicating very poor nutrition status. As per UNDP’s Millennium Development Goals, Pakistan stands among the worst performers in child and infant mortality – as the number of deaths of children per 1000 live births is 69 against the target of 40.
As of 2015, under-five mortality rate (per 1000 live births) is 81%. About 1100 under-five-year-old children die daily from diarrhea, illnesses related to water sanitation and hygiene.
Around 70% births are not officially reported (owing to) in the absence of regulations on birth resulting in failure to receive official identity and respect of rights. It is fairly said by SPARC (Society for the Protection of the Rights of the Child), ‘the country (Pakistan) has no justice system that is just and fair to children’.
According to ILO, around 12 million children in Pakistan are in child labour and are made to work in areas such as agriculture, textile, carpeting, construction, automotive industry and as domestic servants in serious hazardous and detrimental health conditions.
Also, due to family problems or maltreatment and torture by teachers, parents, and other family members, nearly 1.5 million children are forced to take refuge in streets where they are exposed to serious health issues and become easy target to get physically and sexually abused.
Child Abuse – the harm (physical, emotional, or sexual), ill-treatment, neglect or deprivation of any child or imminent risk of it by a parent or caretaker – includes:
- Emotional abuse, the most common form – to criticize, reject, degrade, ignore, isolate, exploit and terrorize, causing long-lasting behavior and character damage.
- Neglect, failure to provide food, clothing, and shelter, medical care, inadequate supervision, a consistent failure to protect from hazards or dangers resulting in impaired functioning or development of a child.
- Physical abuse – battering, beating, kicking, biting, burning, throwing etc. – Pakistan is among 50 states where a ‘reasonable’ degree of violence is overlooked in “better interest” of the child. Hence, infliction of physical punishment is frequent in homes, schools, and work places even though modern research points to its deleterious physical and psychological effects on children. Cultural acceptance, under-reporting and current administrative system impedes effective implementation of various Child Protection laws and policies. In March, 2014, Government officially launched a national campaign to ban corporal punishment in schools, in collaboration with the SAIVAC and the South Asia Coordinating Group on Action (SACGA) but the deeply rooted saga of corporal punishment in Pakistani society has shown little change and needs more strict implementation.
- Sexual abuse – use of a child for sexual purpose by an adult, acquaintance or stranger – conceivably the nastiest form of child abuse, trailing stern sexual and personality disorders, suicidal behavior, depression, low self-esteem, and family functioning harms. The 300 children being forced to have sex and videotaped, mostly under 14, in Kasur by a black mailing gang and in 1990s the rape and murder of 100 children in Lahore by serial killer Javed Iqbal Mughal, are only tip of the ice berg of horrific account of child abuse in Pakistan.
Sahil reports that sexual abuse has increased in Pakistan by 17% from the previous year. A total of 3508 cases of child sexual abuse were registered in 2014 of which 67% were from rural and 33% from urban areas. Bearing the lion’s share of the total, 66% of the victims were girls and 34% of the total were boys.
Provincially disaggregated data shows the highest number of child sexual abuse in Punjab with 2,054 followed by 875 in Sindh, 297 from Balochistan, 152 from KPK, 90 from Federal Capital and 38 from Azad Kashmir. The data reports rape/sodomy as major crime category and the most vulnerable age group is 11 to 15 years.
Huge cultural, social, and religious barriers and stigmas prevent victims from reporting of the sexual offense to police hence the precise enormity of this crime is hard to fathom.
Furthermore, violence against children in Pakistan is multifaceted and stratified with the capacity to affect several aspects of a child’s life. Only 20% of the violence and abuse cases are reported, however – studies estimate.
SPARC, a leading NGO working for child rights, puts child marriages, son preference, female infanticide, honor crime, forced feeding, and accusation of witchcraft as a few commonly prevalent criminal/harmful traditional practices — mostly in remote rural areas, owing to ingrained cultural approval and religious misconceived understanding — that leave lethal impact on child’s physical, intellectual, emotional development.
Despite Child Marriage Restraint Act, 7% of Pakistani girls were married before the age of 15 while 24% before they were 18, reports UNICEF whereas a huge number of underage marriages that go unreported — emanating serious emotional, psychological and reproductive health issues – risk them being exposed to physical violence, servitude, and rapes.
Minor girls given off in marriage to settle a dispute as quick solution by the aggressor in compensation for the dead, called Vani/SWARA, is also a gross violation of human (child) rights.
Recurring natural disasters, armed conflicts also push families to flee places, making children the first victims as they are most vulnerable both physically and mentally. Also, terrorist activities such as the incident where a group of terrorists attacked a children school killing 148 including 133 children can create various psychological problems in children.
Pakistan being the sixth in ratifying and signing UNCRC had little reason to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the passing of UNCRC on November 20th, 2014, the Universal Children’s Day. Having signed and ratified the Optional Protocol to the UNCRC dealing with the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution, and Child Pornography, the Federal Government failed to take any concrete measures regarding its adoption and enforcement in Pakistan till date. Several other Bills on Child Rights and protection await approval and execution.
Children are the symbol of divine beauty, purity and jollity on earth and the condition of children in any society portrays the precise picture of its societal, ethical or civic evolution and standing. It is imperative for the State and Community to recognize the existing forms of violence and abuse; and to counter it through community mobilization and awareness campaigns through print, and electronic media, to revamp the current legislative framework and bring it in line with international standards.
In addition, there is a dire need of launching parenting skills courses, child’s personal safety programs, non-violent conflict resolution courses (in schools), and linking of expert NGOs, volunteers and individuals of society, to remodel Pakistan as a civilized nation.
Correction: This story has been updated to correctly show Pakistan’s population as 200 million which was mistakenly typed as 20 million.