All in a Day

The Times of India carried three different cases of violence against children on the 23^rd of October 2014. A 80 year old man raped a 12 year old girl in Palluruthy, Kochi. The second news was about another 12 year old girl who was brutally tortured and killed by her own father for opposing his illicit relation with a woman. Her own minor brother and the minor son of father’s paramour helped in the gruesome act. The girl’s head was shaved off, she was tortured, suffocated, killed and was left on the railway track to wipe out all evidence. The third news was that of a 36-year-old man was arrested by police for raping a 11-year-old girl who happened to be the daughter of his friend. The man also has a child who is of same age as that of the survivor.

Why this inhuman behavior towards helpless children? Not even animals will do such acts towards their own young ones. What is happening to our society?  There is not a single day in Kerala without sexual abuse of children being reported. There is no age bar and most of the victims are known to the perpetrator.  The shadow of child abuse lasts a life time as we all know. It is killing the personality of an individual.

A comprehensive approach is necessary to address this malady. From our experience the following actions need to be initiated most urgently:

1.    Education that is comprehensive from childhood to every individual. Psycho-sexual evaluation and help to grow up normally with sex education in curriculum from young age.

2.    Controlling laws for access to media from childhood. Age appropriate materials to be provided

3.    Stringent and immediate punishment for offenders

4.    Children to be given awareness classes on abuse from early childhood. It needs to be part of the curriculum.

5.    Availability of adult contents to be regulated by laws.

6.    Age appropriate media exposure to children.

7.    Mental health assessment from childhood and wholesome education involving family and school.

Let us work together for a society which will allow children their space and let them grow gracefully.