essay on child abuse in pakistan

Tackling child abuse in Pakistan 

Child abuse is now seen as one of the most important challenges facing Pakistan, following high profile cases in recent years, including the rape and murder of six-year-old Zainab Ansari in 2018. Indeed, it was this case that prompted Dr Karim to begin critical research into the issue.

“Child abuse happens in all societies, but it’s now finally being talked about in Pakistan after many years of being a taboo subject,” she says. “However, there is very little research on the issue, so policy makers don’t have the academic findings on which to base their decisions. Despite it being a really sensitive and challenging subject, coming from a Pakistani British background, and with a PhD in historic child abuse, I realised I could help fill that gap.”

Dr Samina Karim, Assistant Professor in Social Work from the University of Bradford, is exploring how different professions respond to the challenge of child abuse in Pakistan. Working with representatives from Pakistan, she recruited participants from key professional groups including religious scholars, teachers from state schools, community health workers, medical hospital staff, special educational needs teachers, police, lawyers, community sports professionals, media professionals and religious minorities.

Samina Karim

Using grant funding from the University, she has conducted focus groups with over 300 participants from ten different professions, discussing what they understand of child abuse, their attitudes to it and their professional practice. Each participant completed a questionnaire which captured their knowledge and attitudes towards child abuse and how this in turn was reflected within their professional practice. The groups then discussed the challenges they faced in their profession and what potential solutions there might be.

Based on the findings from this research, Dr Karim has begun more in-depth studies to understand issues relating to the reporting of abuse and the barriers present in terms of the implementation of child protection legislation. Having employed research assistants based in Pakistan, she is currently exploring the views of lawyers and doctors to develop greater clarity on these topics. So far, more than 600 professionals have taken part and the work is ongoing.

“Pakistan does have legislation on the statute books to tackle child abuse, but it’s not always being enforced,” explains Dr Karim. “We wanted to understand why so few cases reach the police and even fewer make it to court.”

The barriers Dr Karim has identified so far range from cultural attitudes to a lack of effective interagency working. Also, because there are often conflicts between federal and provincial law, it can be difficult to successfully bring forward cases. “The implementation of child protection legislation across the criminal justice system is very dependent on interpretation and that often results in cases not being prosecuted or failing in the courts,” says Dr Karim. As part of her study into the legal barriers to prosecution, she is comparing federal and provincial laws from the Punjab province, which has the highest reported cases of child sexual abuse in Pakistan.

Reporting the cases…

Doctors are often the first to see injuries caused by sexual abuse and so are a vital step in ensuring cases come to light. Dr Karim’s work with 300+ hospital based doctors aims to determine how many of them are currently reporting any concerns, and if not, why not. Barriers identified to date include a reluctance to get involved in what are seen as ‘family matters’ or subject a family to the culturally perceived ‘shame’ of making sexual abuse in particular, public. Reporting processes also remain unclear within institutions and facilities, which adds to concerns.

The difficulties of bringing successful criminal prosecutions also have a detrimental impact on reporting by frontline medical staff, according to Dr Karim. “We found that many doctors who did report subsequently saw little action taken and as a result, said they would be less likely to highlight potential cases in future”.

Many professional groups are trying to improve how they respond to the abuse of children in Pakistan and are calling on Dr Karim’s expertise to help them do this. She was recently a keynote speaker at a conference on child abuse organised jointly by the Abbottabad University of Science and Technology and police forces of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) province.

“It’s encouraging to see so many professional groups actively looking to improve how child abuse is dealt with in Pakistan,” says Dr Karim. “We hope that through the research we’re carrying out, we can help provide an evidence base to inform changes in the law or in professional guidelines, to ensure that victims receive the support they need and the justice they deserve.”

View Samina Karim's staff profile.

This work was funded through the Research England Quality-Related (QR) Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF)   allocation to support research that addresses the challenges faced by developing countries.

Journal of Legal, Ethical and Regulatory Issues (Print ISSN: 1544-0036; Online ISSN: 1544-0044)

Research Article: 2022 Vol: 25 Issue: 6

Rights of Children in Islamic Perspective and Child Abuse in Pakistani Society Causes and Remedies from Islamic Teachings

Muhammad Umar Riaz Abbasi, National University of Modern Languages

Muhammad Saeed, National University of Modern Languages

Hafiz Musannif Shah, Abdul Wali Khan University

Iskandar Muda, Universitas Sumatera

Zaafour Abderrazak, University of Almeria

Nazar Farid Ahmed, Islamiat Division Public School & College

Citation Information

Abbasi, M.U.R., Saeed, M., Shah, H.M., Muda, I., Abderrazak, Z., & Ahmed, N.F. (2022). Rights of children in Islamic perspective and child abuse in Pakistani society causes and remedies from Islamic teachings. Journal of Legal, Ethical and Regulatory Issues , 25(S6), 1-7.

In many civilizations, what is deemed abusive in one society is considered acceptable in another. This article aims to look into Islamic beliefs on child abuse and protection. The findings show that the Quran and Hadith contain rules for excellent parenting. Islam also provides extensive guidance on children's rights. To protect and safeguard the rights and welfare of children, Islamic law demands not only practical legal consequences but also substantial religious, moral, and social measures and obligations. These concepts are the focus of this study. Ultimately, the goal is to adapt the practice to work within regions of alignment and convergence whenever possible. This report lays the groundwork for future research, policy, and training.

Protection, Cross-Cultural Islamic Teaching, Child Abuse

Introduction

Children are given to their parents as a gift from God. Parents should be able to care for children and raise them with love and affection as a gift from God ( Byrne et al., 2018 ). Children are helpless in the face of the repercussions of their behavior. As a result, parents should always assist their children in making decisions that are appropriate for their physical and mental growth ( Khoshgoftar et al., 2021 ). A parent or person in charge of raising a kid is said to be capable of creating the optimal environment for the Child's physical, mental, social, and spiritual growth. Depending on where they are on the developmental continuum, children have various requirements that must be satisfied. It's never easy to understand your Child's needs. Children have a variety of demands, ranging from appropriate social learning to harmonious social interactions that aid in their psychosocial development ( Hart, 2013 ). Meeting children's spiritual needs is considered an excellent contribution to developing children's coping mechanisms for societal challenges like poverty and maltreatment. Also, fulfilling spiritual needs is just as vital as meeting physical requirements. All of these requirements are unrelated and must be completed simultaneously. For a child's healthy development, one condition should not be sacrificed at the expense of other needs. The most acceptable parenting practice is based on a clear grasp of what is in the Child's best interests ( Fontes, 2002 ). As a result, every decision concerning raising a child must be made in the Child's best interests, not the parents' or the community's.

To some extent, however, the concept of the Child's best interests often serves as a foundation for parents to overstate their influence over their children to legitimize it. As a result, children are left susceptible to abuse in the home and the community ( Death et al., 2019 ). The transmission of children from childhood to adulthood raises a slew of socioeconomic challenges. These concerns illustrate the complex interaction between a child's inherent psychological development and the social context in which they grow up. Based on his limited understanding, a growing child is more inclined to perform social experiments. They frequently engage in these everyday actions without giving much thought to the repercussions ( Patel et al., 2018 ). As a social group lacking critical thinking abilities and unable to care for themselves, children are frequently among society's most vulnerable minorities. Children's mental immaturity makes it more difficult for them to handle difficulties independently, especially in today's fast-changing, risk-filled world. As a result, child abuse can occur in virtually any country or culture. Child abuse is viewed differently in different cultures and societies ( Pimentel, 2012 ). This is because each culture has ideas about what constitutes optimal parenting and parenting practices. "Culture influences child protection practice in two key ways," Yvonne says. For starters, cultural considerations of child abuse and protective behaviors are important ( Chamberlain et al., 2020 ). Second, the breadth of professional reactions to abuse is influenced by culture.

A cross-cultural framework is nearly impossible to propose in an excellent education. On the other hand, this cultural relativism may make it more difficult to mainstream children's rights at the local, national, and global levels. On a broad level, child protection and the overarching concept of Islam influence social work practice in Muslim communities. Several academic books describe Islamic views for child protection. There is scant instruction in English-language sources on putting these principles into practice. This essay aims to help social workers better understand Islamic perspectives on child protection to be more engaged and effective. A systematic review of the literature on child protection in Muslim communities was conducted. The applicability of key guideline texts to this topic was investigated. The relevance and applicability of Sharia law and Islamic ideas are demonstrated through religious writings. Using Islamic literature to highlight common ground in social work and child protection is critical for creating partnerships with children and their families. This article deals with a severe but delicate topic.

This article aims to assess the level of understanding of Children's Rights from an Islamic point of view and Child Abuse in Pakistani Society Causes and Remedies from Islamic Teachings. This study is essential for understanding administration and reforms according to the perspective of the Quran and sunhat. As a result, the following research objectives guided this study:

1. Check the extent to which Islamic laws and rules practices are implemented.

2. Investigate the problems and challenges of an effective protective society.

3. Examine how Child Abuse in Pakistani Society Causes and Remedies from Islamic Teachings while ignoring class, caste, race, and religious divisions.

4. Investigates Rights of Children in Islamic point of view.

Research Method

The study is primarily qualitative. To address specified research questions, an investigation Rights of Children in Islam according to Islam are critically examined. Existing literature such as books, research articles, reports, electronic and print media stories, and editorials is systematically reviewed to make research more representative and relevant. Focused group conversations with professors and researchers from universities have also been arranged as part of the project. This is done by extrapolating the Prophet's storey from the Noble Quran and Noble Hadith. There is a need to establish Islamic law and develop an integrated approach that benefits society while lowering the degree of catastrophic losses due to the gap between empirical and descriptive research in management.

Participant

During collecting data to produce theories through the collection, compilation, and analysis, the theoretical samples for this study were gathered from the noble texts of the Quran, Hadiths of the Prophet, and stories of the Prophet. The theory progressively emerges in tandem with the data.

To construct a theory, the researchers analyzed the noble text of the Quran and the content of the Prophet's Hadith. They deduced suitable management methods and the procedures required to manage these contents based on Islamic methodologies. The Quran and Hadith texts were collected from the Prophet's Hadiths, then organized and classified, qualitatively analyzed their content, extracted topics and answered research questions. The research findings were presented by the Book of God and the Prophet Muhammad's Hadiths. Because the researchers in this study offered a rich and complete account of the research setting and methodology, qualitative research's transferability indicates that the data discovery and interpretation can be transplanted to other similar circumstances. As a result, readers of the study may profit from disseminating this research's findings in similar situations.

Analysis of Data

The researcher of this study uses a theoretically valid method. Using this method, they collect and assess data at the same time. The information is divided into two parts; the first includes Quranic texts and hadith materials from the Prophet's Hadith. It helps to build categories and subjects, which improves the theories that arise from the data. The second volume offers analysis ideas. The researchers in this study keep going until they reach theoretical saturation, which implies that there is no new information in the data and that the concepts that have been recognized clearly and accurately for theory building have been validated. The primary goal of this notion is to ensure understanding of the Rights of Children from an Islamic point of view and Child Abuse in Pakistani Society Causes and Remedies from Islamic Teachings.

In Islam, children have fundamental rights.

Children's Rights In Islam

In Islam, a happy, inspired childhood is something to look forward to, desire, and aspire to. The harvest is the happiness of the heart, the joy of the heart, and the lift of the chest when the long-awaited hope is realized. Offspring is a gift from Allah Almighty to his devoted slaves, according to the Qur'an. This is the almighty bounty, one of the nobles' gifts to them. It also brings the fulfilment of the hope of Allah's genuine and believing servant. It's no surprise that Sharia law prioritizes ensuring all necessary conditions for an excellent psychological climate in children's education, i.e., the environment in which they learn about the world and establish conventions and standards. As a result, Islam affirms:

1. Children have the right to a healthy start in life.

2. Children's rights to their family, parents, names, property, and inheritance.

3. Children's entitlement to proper nutrition and health care.

4. Children's educational and skill-building rights.

5. Children have the right to a dignified and secure existence.

6. Children have the right to expect society and the government to support and safeguard their rights. All of these rights are spelt forth in Sharia law, as demonstrated by the wonderful Qur'an and the Prophet Muhammad.

Child Abuse in Pakistan

Child maltreatment and neglect are essential issues all around the world. The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) is the most widely known Convention for child protection globally. Despite widespread agreement on the importance of safeguarding children from harm, the subject is delicate, and coping mechanisms are frequently debated ( Lundy et al., 2013 ). The Muslim community is becoming aware of tensions, misunderstandings, and resistance to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child's unconditional adoption. Different cultures have diverse attitudes towards conservation issues exacerbates the dilemma ( Munro et al., 2011 ). Social work must address these critical challenges as the primary professionals involved in child safety. Physical, sexual, and emotional abuse and neglect of a kid by a parent or guardian are known as child abuse. Child abuse is not often perceived as being done by parents, who are supposed to be the world's protectors, architects, and most loving people for children. Many people feel that abusive parents have mental illnesses. According to studies, only 11.5% of people suffer from mental diseases due to child abuse ( Fang et al., 2015 ). According to the Daily Times, a survey by the non-governmental organization Human Rights and Legal Aid Lawyers (LHRLA) found a 280 per cent increase in child abuse in Pakistan over the last five years based on newspaper analysis. In 2004, the number of cases reported by the media increased from 4,500 in 2020 to 1,800. Abuse of children in various forms Physical and emotional abuse of children go hand in hand, as we've witnessed. We discussed child marriage in the last section, and it is a well-known truth that children are also sold by their parents for financial reasons. Any rational person would be shocked by the storey of the three-year-old camel jockey who was trafficked from India and Pakistan ( Gailey, 2021 ). The most common abuse of the body of physical abuse is sticking ( Jewkes et al., 2018 ). It's not only for partners, either. Even if they are mere onlookers, this can enrage the family's youngsters. It'd be considerably worse if they were also the victims of parental abuse. Children are frequently subjected to recurrent abuse in yelling, threats, insults, or hostile comments ( Herrick and Thomas, 2021 ). According to a study of 300 parents in Lahore, Pakistan, 84 per cent of them mainly used slapping or kicking as corporal punishment. Sticks, belts, and other tools were used by about 3.5 % of respondents. Getting married as a child As the term implies, child marriage is frequent among the rural and tribal poor, and it appears to be a form of violence against young couples who marry as early as five or six years old, if not younger ( Nasrullah et al., 2014 ). The motives for these weddings could be financial (when children are sold in marriage), trade for Watta satta, compensation for family members' wrongdoing (Swara), tribal rituals, or simply a desire to see the girl settle down as soon as feasible.

Abuse of the Emotions Incarceration, such as putting children in dark closets, and social isolation, such as refusing to let children be friends, are two more forms of emotional abuse. Anger and distress should be the natural reactions to such mistreatment. Children, however, are forbidden to vent their fury since they cannot feel their agony alone. They must bury their feelings, repress all traumatic memories, and idealize people who have been abused because they are in this toxic atmosphere. According to the Department of Social Welfare, 10,000 children abandon their homes after being abused or tortured by instructors, parents, or other family members. Based on data collected in eight districts in the North West last year, an investigation by the NGO Coalition for the Rights of the Child (NCCR) found that 404 children fled their homes to avoid abuse by family members and teachers ( Matheka, 2011 ). The most common kind of child maltreatment is neglect. This type of emotional abuse can ruin a child's self-esteem. Physical decay occurs when a parent fails to provide adequate food, clothing, shelter, or medical care to their Child. Inadequate supervision and a frequent failure to protect children from harm or danger can also be factors. When a parent or caregiver fails to address a child's basic emotional and comfort requirements and encourages them to commit a crime, this is known as emotional neglect ( Lindsey, 2020 )—depriving a child of his fundamental right to education, whether by refusing to send him to school or enabling him to skip school, is another type. The mother permits this behaviour in the middle and lower classes without the father's awareness. Neither of these approaches fixes the problem and frequently leads to youngsters dropping out of school.

Legislation for the Protection of Childs

The method for registering a complaint with the police for a recognized offence in Pakistan is outlined in Section 154 of the Criminal Procedure Act (1898). Victims have access to a police station 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and can file a free First Information Report (FIR) under Section 154. A verbal report made over the phone can also be used to charge the victim. The officers of the law Verification of these reports could also lead to legal action in an FIR. The law would take effect, and an investigation would commence only when the FIR is filed. The case is transferred to the prosecutor's office for evaluation after the investigation is completed and then to the court, determining the claim based on the available evidence.

The most important step taken by the current administration is to boost women's representation in representative bodies (33 per cent), from the Council to the National Assembly. This significant shift is likely to have a significant positive impact. The Prime Minister's Women's Welfare Adviser is also concerned about these concerns as a woman. Because every journey starts with the first step, which has been taken in one of the four provinces by enacting the Domestic Violence Act. In the Punjab Parliament, a Private Domestic Violence Bill was recently proposed. To address this unfairness, the measure only requires broad support for fiscal, judicial, and parliamentary flexibility and open legal accountability ( Beggs et al., 2021 ). The bar has yet to be enacted.

The most recent development on this subject was an honour killing bill passed on December 31, 2004. The law, which altered the Pakistani Penal Code, was thoroughly debated before and after it was given. Under the Child Marriage Restriction Act of 1929 (CMRA), child marriage is illegal. Even though the CMRA prohibits child marriage, it is permissible for a person married to an adult, the person presiding over the wedding, and the kid's guardian/parent. A conviction under this statute does not result in the dissolution of a marriage. Governments pledge to preserve all children's social, economic, civil, and political rights by ratifying the Convention on the Child's Rights. Children are protected not only against abuse of state authority while in the care of "parents, legal guardians, or any other person has custody of the child," but also from any form of physical or mental violence or abuse, including in schools, according to the Convention on the Rights of the Child. According to the Convention on the Child's Rights, every Child has the right to appropriate education and a decent quality of life ( Welbourne and Dixon, 2016 ). It establishes a child's right to be free from sexual abuse, exploitation, and the use of illegal drugs. It commits states to safeguard children from economic exploitation and jobs that could affect their education or health. Articles 28-2 and 37 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child indicate unequivocally that children in the care of their parents or others are protected from physical and psychological abuse. "No child shall be subjected to torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment," declares Article 37 of the Convention on the Child's Rights. Pakistan has joined the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which expressly outlaws corporal punishment ( Todres, 2019 ). The Justice Department seems adamant about passing the bill. Parents and teachers must be educated in child psychology to combat child abuse.

Concluding Remarks

Children are seen as blameless, sinless individuals in Islam. The special rights distinguish this status it grants them. Specific categories of youngsters have increased risk factors, according to Islam. On the other hand, Islam acknowledges that every Child is susceptible to abuse. It could be their parents, family, or community. As a result, Islamic child protection works to protect children's lives and healthy development so that they can grow up to be responsible individuals. Islamic perspectives on child protection cover at least two broad categories. They make child protection a holy obligation of parents, and the community's social role is to safeguard vulnerable children with higher risk factors. The Islamic concept of child protection in the home appears to be underappreciated.

Furthermore, given the global prevalence of child abuse, the majority of which happens in domestic settings and is perpetuated by the Child's family, the Islamic position on child abuse and protection has to be thoroughly investigated. Many dangers can put youngsters in jeopardy. When it comes to child protection from an Islamic perspective, many Muslim parents may not understand how child abuse occurs or how to protect their children from it, leading them to treat their children inappropriately.

Domestic violence and child abuse are two of Pakistan's most under-discussed legal issues. This number of incidences of domestic violence is startling, and there is no way to quantify it because no detailed information or data is accessible. Every mistreatment within the four walls of one's home is deemed outside the scope of the law. The abuser uses cultural and religious ideas as a cover for the legalization of abuse. The beautiful prohibition on social acceptance can be interpreted in various ways, including hitting and physically assaulting lovers and children. According to Human Rights Watch, domestic violence is a systemic problem rather than a causal problem. On the subject of violence, "crime or custom?" In a causative analysis, the family structure creates or legitimizes behaviour, emotions, or phenomena regarded as a cause of domestic violence. This family structure is "a structure reflected and affirmed in the social structure, in which women's (and men's) subjugation and men's (and women's) violence are weapons to maintain this balance of power." Use it if you want to change the structure. "People need to modify their ways," Tanzanian High Court Judge Nathalie Kimaro stated. "Attitude" (in response to the inquiry)".

It is critical to bring the abuse of their partners and children by their parents and guardians to the public's attention and hold them responsible. Designing an integrated system can help with this challenging task. Social media strategy all of these programmers are meant to make people aware of how to follow existing and new rules correctly. The government's and political parties' political will is essential. Fundamental rights are not being respected. The dilemma is centred on the people guaranteed by the Constitution, not on a lack of what is in the Constitution. Domestic Abuse and Child Abuse in Pakistan: The Penal Code". The treatment of offenders and their protection, rehabilitation, and reintegration is the most important thing that people ignore in the intermediate period, the state and society intervene. This procedure must begin as soon as feasible. This is achievable with the active cooperation of social welfare bodies, departments, and the general public. It's time to get started. To save Pakistan's future generations, solve this problem through war. Pay no attention to the authors. The issue will recur if the majority agrees.

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Received: 26-Apr-2022, Manuscript No. JLERI-22-11640; Editor assigned: 29-Apr-2022; PreQC No. JLERI-22-11640(PQ); Reviewed: 15-May-2022, QC No. JLERI-22-11640; Revised: 21-May-2022, Manuscript No. JLERI-22-11640(R); Published: 26-May-2022

Youth Parliament Pakistan

The Lingering Menace of Child Abuse in Pakistan!

The views expressed in the Youth Parliament Pakistan® (YPP) blogs are solely those of the blogger/author/Member Youth Parliament Pakistan® (MYP) and do not represent the views of PILDAT (Pakistan Institute of Legislative Development and Transparency) or YPP itself. PILDAT and YPP do not endorse or promote any particular political ideology, agenda, or opinion expressed in the blogs. The blogs are intended to encourage critical thinking and constructive dialogue on issues of public interest among young people in Pakistan.

Child abuse is an unreported but an alarming issue in every civilized society. Half of the children across the world are exposed to violence and survivors’ trauma, but the consequences of child labour are usually obscured from the public view. In this era of globalization, there is a need for designating time to educate and empower the most vulnerable segments of society – children against abuse from strangers and their teachers and relatives. Decades of research shows how negative childhood events such as abuse or neglect can have a detrimental impact on a person’s long term physical and mental health. It has been linked to rapid ageing, chronic diseases and even premature deaths. Pakistan has its history of reacting to problems ex post facto. Child abuse is widely prevalent but rarely recognized as a social problem in Pakistan.

According to International Society prevention of child abuse (ISPCAN), overall, 41.69% respondents were sexually abused with one or another form in the recent years. Experience of child abuse is reported more frequently by boys than girls. According to Sahil report, the total number of reported child abuse cases across the country jumped to 2,960 in 2020 from 2486 cases in 2019, showing an increase of 4%. More than 8 children in Pakistan were abused daily on average in the year 2020, according to data compiled by Sahil on child sexual abuse cases reported in national newspapers. What is more, according to a recently published retrospective study by Abbas and Jabeen (2020) on prevalence of child abuse in Pakistan conducted with equal number of male and female respondents 41% (44% males and 39% females) of respondents reported facing at least one form of sexual abuse during childhood. Among many factors for the prevailing situation, the most pertinent is poor parent- child relationship. We live in a society where fear and cultural taboos make it difficult to uncover cases of abuse. Parents’ unwillingness to subject their children to the medico-legal process is also a deterrent. A lack of support from family members, friends and neighbors or the community leads to the isolation of victim, making him hesitant to share his experience about his abuser. Besides other factors responsible for child abuse are socio-economic stresses; unemployment, low self-confidence and feelings of incompetence, loneliness, and psychological unrest.

Even before Zainab case, the child sexual abuse was widely prevalent but rarely reported. Zainab case accentuated the need to cure menace of child abuse. After the 18th amendment in the constitution of Pakistan (1973) and completion of devolution process in 2011, the provinces are responsible for legislation and policy making regarding protection of children. Government of Pakistan had been taking commendable steps regarding the prevention of child abuse for some time, but later on it all went in vain. Zainab Alert Response and Recovery Agency (ZARRA) was to be established on the pattern of Amber Alert to inform public and enforcement agencies to recover a missing child through One Window operations. Recently, the Punjab Police launched an app through ‘Pukkar 15 calls’ at the police station and service centers which are remarkable steps to eradicate child abuse.

Although above mentioned steps are important strides in the right direction, yet more is needed. Some target oriented and sharply focused steps for the eradication of child abuse are extremely important. One of the most important ways of stopping child abuse is to trace it in the first place. Children tend to suffer in silence hence it is necessary to ask them to open up and share. There is a dire need to give the child freedom to express his or her feelings without any fear. We need to educate the children about the good touch and the bad touch. The media should play its pivotal role to spread the awareness and sensitize the people about this evil. National and provincial legislatures need to review existing child protection laws while reforming the existing apparatus. The government should hold seminars and workshops in education institutions to sensitize the children and parents about it. The Ministry of Human Rights should play its role to revamp the national child protection center to identify, prevent and report issue of child abuse.

To sum up, it can be said with utmost certainty that every child deserves a safe childhood and this is an achievable goal. It is a high time to save the children from this scourge of abuse. It is expected that the government will translate its vision of providing children with safe childhood into action. It is the need of the hour that the policy makers of Pakistan put their utmost focus on curbing this menace and providing security and peace to the children of Pakistan. The existing apparatus require reforms for safeguarding the permanent value of chastity enshrined in the Holy Quran. Let us hope for the better future of children in Pakistan.

Author profile

Sajjad Hussain NA-100 Chiniot-II First Alternate Member – 17th Youth Parliament Pakistan

Sajjad Hussain is a Law Graduate from International Islamic University Islamabad. Nowadays he is preparing for the upcoming CSS exams. He writes articles for the Daily Times, Global Space Village and Dayspring Newspaper. He is deeply interested in the current affairs of Pakistan and through joining the 17th YPP looks forward to learning about effective policy making and the parliamentary system of Pakistan.

Child Sexual Abuse in Pakistan: Evidence-informed Policy Framework

• Research Article
• Published: 20 September 2021
• Volume 4 , pages 537–553, ( 2021 )

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• Syed Saleem Abbas   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0003-1947-5770 1  

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Abbas, S.S. Child Sexual Abuse in Pakistan: Evidence-informed Policy Framework. Int. Journal on Child Malt. 4 , 537–553 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42448-021-00092-8

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Accepted : 30 August 2021

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DOI : https://doi.org/10.1007/s42448-021-00092-8

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Child abuse in Pakistan: A qualitative study of knowledge, attitudes and practice amongst health professionals

Affiliations.

• 1 Whiston Hospital, Warrington Road, Prescot, Liverpool, L35 5DR, UK. Electronic address: [email protected].
• 2 Department of Emergency Medicine, Aga Khan University, P O Box 3500, Stadium Road, Karachi, Pakistan. Electronic address: [email protected].
• 3 Department of Emergency Medicine, Aga Khan University, P O Box 3500, Stadium Road, Karachi, Pakistan. Electronic address: [email protected].
• 4 Department of Emergency Medicine, Critical Creative Innovative Thinking (CCIT), Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan. Electronic address: [email protected].
• 5 Department of Global Health and Population, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University, Boston, USA. Electronic address: [email protected].
• 6 International Centre for Maternal and Child Health, Akademiska Sjukhuset, University of Uppsala, MTC-huset, Dag Hammarskjölds väg 14B, 752 37, Uppsala, Sweden; Department of Paediatrics, Länssjukhuset Gävle-Sandviken, 801 87, Gävle, Sweden; Department of Child Health, Aga Khan University, Stadium Road, 74800, Karachi, Pakistan. Electronic address: [email protected].
• PMID: 30447502
• DOI: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2018.10.008

Child abuse is a global problem and pervades all cultures and socio-economic strata. The effects can be profound and life altering for victims. There is substantial literature from high income countries about signs of abuse, but a dearth of data from low and middle income countries like Pakistan. Healthcare professionals (HCP) are ideally placed to detect abuse, but, to inform interventions, an understanding of their experiences, training needs and cultural beliefs is needed. This study aimed to: (1) Explore the challenges that HCP face when managing cases of abuse; (2) Explore cultural beliefs and understand how these shape practice and (3) Identify training needs. A qualitative study using a phenomenological design was conducted. In-depth interviews were conducted with doctors, nurses and security staff in the emergency department of a large private hospital in Pakistan (n = 15). Interviews were undertaken in Urdu, translated into English and analysed using an inductive thematic approach. Multiple challenges were identified. The process of referral to legal services was poorly understood and further training and guidelines was suggested by participants. As the legal system in Pakistan does not allow HCP to keep potentially abused patients in their custody, they felt restricted in their ability to advocate and concerned about the safety of both the identified children and themselves. HCP have potential to detect abuse early; however, in Pakistan there are numerous challenges. HCP require support through training, as well as clear institutional frameworks and legal support to undertake this role.

Keywords: Child abuse; Health care professionals; Pakistan.

Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

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Child abuse in Pakistan  

Violence against children occurs in different forms like Physical, Sexual, Neglect, Emotional, and psychological in multiple ways violation of a child is happening authenticity. And WHO (World Health Organization), consultation on child abuse prevention recognized violence against children as a growing Public-Health and development problem, defined as child abuse and mistreatment constitute physical and emotional ill-treatment, sexual abuse, negligent treatment, and potential harm to the child’s health, survival, development dignity in the context of a relationship of responsibility, trust or power. As Child Abuse is widely prevalent but rarely recognized as a social problem in Pakistan ( According to the international society prevention of Child Abuse (ISPCAN), overall, 41.69 percentage respondents have been sexually abused in one and another form in the recent year.

Elon Musk's use of X for global political influence draws criticism

Thus recently published retrospective study by Abbas and Jabeen 2020 on the prevalence of Child abuse in Pakistan was conducted with an equal number of male and female respondents 41 percent (44 % Males and 39 % females) of respondents reported facing at least one form of sexual abuse during childhood. Among many factors of the prevailing situation, The most pertinent is a poor parent-child relationship in

Pakistan is one of the leading countries with Child Sexual Abuse (CSA) in the world where around 550,000 (0.55 million) children are abused annually.

Child abuse is a serious problem in Pakistan that often goes unpunished however, there are laws in place that for severe. Penalties for those who are convicted of abusing children. These penalties range from imprisonment to the death of sentence and they provide some measure of justice for victims and their facilities.

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More than 10 children were subjected to sexual abuse on average every day between January and June, a report by child protection organisation Sahil says.

The report, titled “Six Months Cruel Numbers 2021”, states that the average number of children subjected to abuse has increased by two children per day in comparison with the last year’s January-June report.

“This year, 81 daily national and regional newspapers were monitored during January-June 2021 to collect data on Child Sexual Abuse, Abduction, Missing Children, and the cases of Early Forced Marriages,” read the report.

According to the report, data collected from all four provinces of Pakistan including Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT), besides Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), and Gilgit Baltistan (GB), showed that a total of 1,896 cases of child abuse were reported in the period.

Of these, 1,084 cases were of sexual abuse against children, 523 were cases of abduction, 238 cases of missing children, and 51 cases of child marriages.

The report further states that 53% (1,013) of the victims were girls and (883) 47% were boys.

It reveals that “children from the age group 6-15 are most vulnerable to abuse”.

As many as 640 children from the age bracket 11-15 years and 409 children from the age bracket 6-10 fell prey to different types abuse during the last six months, the report adds.

According to the report, in 1,045 cases, the abusers were acquaintances, while they were strangers in 430 cases, relatives in 49 cases, female abettors in 47 cases, seminary/school teachers in 38 cases, neighbours in 37 cases, and family members in 32 cases.

In addition to this, the data reveals that 60% of the total cases were reported from Punjab and 6% from the ICT.

The rest of the cases were reported from other provinces — 26% from Sindh, 5% from KPK, and 3% from Balochistan, and AJK & GB.

Of the total cases, 58% were reported from rural areas and 42% cases from urban areas.

Sahil has been working since 1996 on child protection, especially against child sexual abuse (CSA).

Sahil aims to develop a society and environment where every child should be safe, secure, and protected from abuse, especially from sexual abuse.

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Violence against Children: A Challenge for Public Health in Pakistan

World Health Organization has identified violence against children as a growing public-health issue with a global magnitude. This paper explored violence against children as a challenge in the developing world using Pakistan as a case study. A systematic review of existing research and literature on violence against children was followed by assessing the magnitude of this challenge and its impact on policy. Most research done in Pakistan is observational, descriptive, and anecdotal with data collected through survey methods and interviews with small sample sizes. The findings suggest that the confluence of macro risk factors, such as poverty, poor legal protections, illiteracy, large family size, and unemployment, create an enabling environment for violence against children. Lack of empirical data makes it difficult to assess the magnitude of this issue. The health problems reported and the extent of human potential destroyed are unknown. Conclusion calls for focused research to examine the prevalence, potential interventions, and policies in Pakistan.

INTRODUCTION

The World Report on Violence and Health, released by the World Health Organization (WHO) ( 1 ), presented the issue of violence against children as a public-health problem that has a global magnitude. In the same year (2002), the member nations of the United Nations (UN) pledged to meet eight Millennium Development Goals by 2015 ( 2 ). Six of these goals are directly related to children, and all are closely linked to the commitment made at the Special Session on Children of the UN General Assembly in 2002 that all governments would work to promote and protect the rights of every child ( 3 ).

WHO defines violence as “The intentional use of physical force or power, threatened or actual, against oneself, another person, or against a group or community that either results in or has a high likelihood of resulting in injury, death, psychological harm, maldevelopment or deprivation”( 1 ). This definition captures the range of potential and actual violence perpetuated on people, including children, the most vulnerable group. For example, an estimated 57,000 deaths have been attributed to homicide among children aged less than 15 years in 2000 ( 3 ). The global estimates of child homicide suggest that infants and very young children, aged 0-4 year(s), are at the highest risk, while children in lower-income countries are at a higher risk compared to those in high-income countries. The highest rates of homicide for children aged less than five years are in the African Region (AFRO) at 17.9 per 100,000 for boys and 12.7 per 100,000 for girls ( 3 ).

Violence against children occurs in different forms (physical, sexual, neglect, emotional and psychological) and at multiple levels (individual, household, institutional, and societal). A WHO Consultation on Child Abuse Prevention recognized violence against children as a growing public-health and development problem and defined child abuse as “Child abuse and maltreatment constitutes all forms of physical and/or emotional ill-treatment, sexual abuse, neglect or negligent treatment or commercial or other exploitation, resulting 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” ( 3 ). Establishing the precise magnitude of child abuse for any given country is very difficult. Even in wealthy countries, recognizing and measuring the incidence of fatal violence such as infanticide is problematic due to underreporting and misclassification of deaths. The situation in developing countries is even more challenging due to a mix of poor health-information systems, faulty legal and police structures, and sociocultural stigma ( 3 ). Data on non-fatal abuse is even harder to collect because of different legal and cultural definitions of abuse and neglect across countries. Such cases are more underreported even in countries where mandatory reporting mechanisms exist.

Violence against children occurs throughout the world, including South Asia, which has 23% of the world's population and is one of the world's poorest regions ( 4 ). In countries, like India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, and Pakistan, child labour, child sexual abuse and prostitution, child trafficking and homelessness are commonly reported issues. The largest number of working children in the world—between 40 and 115 million child workers aged 5-14 years—are found in India ( 5 ). Data from a 1995 Bangladesh survey of children aged 10-15 years in 150 villages revealed that 21% were in the labour force ( 6 ).

Pakistan is a developing country in South Asia with a population of 153 million and a per-capita gross national income of US$ 420 ( 4 ). Of the total population, 43% are children aged less than 15 years ( 7 ), and according to the World Bank ( 4 ), poverty remains a serious concern in Pakistan, with 33% of the population living under the poverty-line, with a literacy rate of 44%. Pakistan ranks 138 on the Human Development Index ( 8 ). Pakistan is struggling to make its general and specific environment conducive for meaningful and sustainable advancement in terms of all aspects of human development. Importantly, Pakistan ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1990.

The paper examines the situation of violence against children in Pakistan. Its overall goal is to assess the current state of knowledge on violence against children in the country. The specific objectives are to conduct a systematic review of the literature on violence against children, to understand the nature and context of this problem, to estimate the magnitude of violence against children in Pakistan as a public-health problem, and to define critical gaps in existing knowledge for public-health research and policy.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A comprehensive review of literature on violence against children in Pakistan was undertaken. In addition to published articles that contained qualitative and quantitative data from original research or review, organizational reports and unpublished items were also reviewed. PubMed was searched for literature published in English from 1966 to 2003. Combinations of key words, such as ‘violence against children’, ‘abuse’, ‘child maltreatment’, ‘pediatric violence’, ‘neglect’, ‘child labor’, ‘child sexual abuse’, ‘child trauma’, ‘Pakistan’, and ‘South Asia’, were used. Further searches were conducted using the author's name and ‘related articles’ links for key publications. A separate search was conducted in www.pakmedinet.com (electronic database) to identify literature from local health journals within Pakistan. A Web-based www.google.com search was also done to retrieve government publications and institutional reports released by international, non-governmental, academic organizations, and research centres. Organizations, such as United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, WHO, and International Labour Organization (ILO), were searched using the same key words as above.

Abstracts of each paper of potential interest were reviewed by both the authors for inclusion in the study, and full copies of these publications were obtained. Literature was included in the review if it was based on a population living within the geographical boundaries of Pakistan, in English, relating to any type of violence against children or included information on children aged less than 18 years. Articles were excluded if participant populations were outside Pakistan, represented violence against adults aged over 18 years only, or if they were news reports. Each paper was reviewed to extract qualitative and quantitative data on violence against children. These were tabulated and summarized to assess the magnitude and characteristics of violence against children in the country. A quantitative analysis was done to see if rates of prevalence and summary distributions could be established. Qualitative analysis explored the type, design, and location of each study and evaluated recurring themes and relations for causes of violence.

The systematic review of literature on violence against children in Pakistan identified 15 published papers—three editorials, 10 original research papers, and two review papers—written between 1984 and 2003 (Table ​ (Table1). 1 ). Unpublished literature covered 11 organizational reports generated during 1998-2003 (Table ​ (Table2). 2 ). The following main themes predominated the literature on violence against children: child labour ( 9 – 18 ); sexual abuse ( 16 , 19 , 20 – 23 ); child neglect, as it manifests in the form of lack of education, gender discrimination, and malnutrition, particularly for the girl child ( 19 , 20 , 22 , 24 – 26 ); juvenile law ( 16 – 19 ); and impact of political or street violence on children ( 16 , 19 , 26 , 27 ). Most published studies were from national medical journals, had an urban bias towards larger cities of Pakistan, and the populations studied were small, except for one study from Karachi city that screened 112,029 children ( 28 ). The appearance of empirical work in the published literature reflected some research on violence against children in the country, while reviews and situation analysis dominated the unpublished literature.

Violence against children in Pakistan: peer-reviewed published papers

Violence against children in Pakistan: reports from government, NGO, and international organizations

ILO=International Labour Organization; NGOs=Non-governmental organizations; UNICEF=United Nations Children's Fund

Table ​ Table3 3 presents the understanding of violence against children as used in the literature in Pakistan. An important common feature to nearly all reviewed literature was their definition of violence against children, based on the United Nation's Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). In addition, the selected papers in Table ​ Table3 3 derived their own definition from CRC, which is either issue-specific or is an effort to apply the CRC to a type of violence against children. All definitions in the reviewed papers acknowledge four universal forms of abuse—physical, sexual, mental and neglect—resulting in actual or potential harm to health, survival, development, and dignity of the child, as constituting violence against children. The first two forms (physical and sexual) are elaborately defined and are deemed detectable because of their very obvious nature. However, neglect and psychological violence has been referred to as ‘suffering’, ‘intimidation by position of differential power’, ‘moral/ethical abuse’, and ‘harmful traditional practices’. In this context, the reviewed literature identified corporal punishment, impact of street violence on children, malnutrition, poverty, educational neglect, and abandonment, as different forms of neglect.

Defnitions of violence against children used in Pakistan literature

UNICEF=United Nations Children's Fund; WHO=World Health Organization

A summary of all the suggested ‘reasons’ for child labour mentioned in 11 different studies relating to the issue in Pakistan are presented in Table ​ Table4. 4 . Some of these causes can be grouped together although no single category is mutually exclusive. For instance, family circumstances, unemployed parents, large family size, survival, and forced labour could be described as poverty-related causes. These working children seem to come from large, poverty-stricken families, with other factors, such as unemployment, drug addiction, migration, and illiteracy playing an important role. Another rationale proposed in the literature is weak legislation relating to both elementary education and child labour, including bonded labour. No quantitative estimates of the contribution of these causes, or estimates of risk were found in the studies. As a result, the commonality of their appearance has been used for illustrating the potential frequency of this cause.

Suggested reasons/causes for child labour

SRARC=Society for the Protection of the Rights of the Child; UNICEF=United Nations Children's Fund

Quantitative data were available from six studies only on child labour (Table ​ (Table5). 5 ). These papers suggest that children start work as early as three years of age, while the median age of entering the workforce was reported to be seven years by two studies ( 14 , 15 ). Certain types of work were common across studies, such as domestic employment (household labour), work in mechanic shops, small hotels or restaurants, and work in fruit markets with the youngest children reported to be part of ‘beggar’ groups. Children work for long ( 6 – 15 ) hours without breaks or leisure time, and sometimes children sleep at their work place in highly inadequate living conditions. Children work for very low wages, sometimes only for food in return, with their contribution to monthly household income ranging from 1% to 29%. The majority of these children are either completely illiterate or poorly educated. 10-60% of children reported physical abuse at the work place, while two studies reported that 66-79% of children felt pushed into work.

Violence against children in Pakistan: quantitative estimates∗

∗Rates have been adjusted for annual reporting periods and are based on a reference population of Pakistan aged less than 15 years); SPARC=Society for the Protection of the Rights of the Child

We have quantitative data from five organizations on physical and sexual child abuse from 1998 to 2003 (Table ​ (Table5). 5 ). Three organizations reported national data, and two focused on statistics from Punjab province and Lahore city. However, these organizations made it clear that these data did not represent actual numbers of such incidents in Pakistan because of underreporting. Reasons, such as family honour, concepts of morality, and cultural taboos, were major reasons for underreporting. The three national reports indicated a higher proportion of boys in those reportedly abused, while the two reports from Punjab reported a higher proportion of girls. Using a reference national population (children aged less than 15 years) as of 1998 (latest census available) for the area of study, rates of annual incidence have been generated. These rates assume uniform reporting across the year and have not been adjusted for underreporting to derive ‘minimalist’ estimates. The reported annual incidence of violence against children ranged from 1.57 to 3.18 per 100,000 for Pakistan. The categories—physical and sexual abuses—used in these reports included abduction, rape, sodomy, torture, or murder against both boys and girls. As can be seen, rape and murder turned out to be most frequent causes, while fewer proportions appeared in the abduction and torture category (Table ​ (Table5). 5 ). The category of ‘seriously injured’ is mentioned but not defined in the studies.

Violence against children needs to become a public-health priority worldwide. This review showed that there is some, though limited literature (published or unpublished) on violence against children in Pakistan. The literature is mostly focused on the causes and, in some cases, the consequences of child abuse. Most studies and reports have documented child labour, child sexual abuse, and fatal violence, whereas neglect or other non-physical forms of violence have not been captured. The reviewed papers tended to focus on urban settings in the country, while the majority (70%) of the population of Pakistan lives in rural areas. Most work was of observational and descriptive nature with data collected through survey methods and interviews with small sample sizes. The time periods of reporting also vary, and methodological details are often not available in the papers. The duration of reporting differs in all cases from seven months to (over a) one year period. The method of collecting such cases also differed from police reports to special surveillance of newspaper-reported cases. The findings reflect the need for more and better-quality information on violence against children in Pakistan.

All studies in this review present definitions of violence against children that are derived from the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child ( 18 ). This common understanding is very welcome and is important because it allows a universal approach with flexibility to address sociocultural contexts. Although child abuse per se can be defined universally, the diverse types of abuse, their existence in different societies, and more importantly interventions for its prevention and control need to focus on the specific cultural contexts within each country. Pakistan presents a specific set of evolving conservative and traditional social structures, which are reflected in the literature. This review identifies that children in Pakistan experience numerous risk factors in their exposure to the outside world and the quality of care provided by their immediate families. Cultural and traditional norms that foster gender discrimination and under-value the girl child contribute to high rates of overall illiteracy, low nutritional status, and lack of access to health and development opportunities in life ( 29 ). This represents a hostile macro context, which leads to an increased risk of violence against children (rape, human trafficking, and sexual exploitation). Corporal punishment and the slow process of justice for children who come in contact with the law are another form of neglect at the institutional and societal levels. Dimensions of household neglect, such as improper supervision, abandonment, and educational deprivation, have not been elaborated in the reviewed papers.

The literature review also explored the causes of child labour and its impact on children, their families, and overall human development. There is a strong qualitative association between poverty and related factors (family size, unemployment) with child labour in Pakistan. Studies on child labour indicate that, for these children, living in the cycle of a poor large family with unemployed parents creates the conditions in which they have to work. Illiteracy, lack of educational opportunities, and weak legal structures then further disadvantage these children, making them the lowest paid workers in the country. Working children then experience harsh working conditions, lack of food and rest, and no play which then disproportionately affect their health. Studies documented children reporting complaints of skin and eye infections, problems relating to the digestive system, headaches, dizziness, asthma, body aches, stress, and depression. These health outcomes were not specifically diagnosed in the studies nor were the presence of other health consequences, such as suicide, studied. In addition to putting children in physical danger, work reduces their chances of getting an education. An early-age exposure to ‘street survival situations’ also makes them at risk for drug abuse, prostitution, and crime.

Studies that provided quantitative data on physical and sexual abuses of children are challenging to interpret. Studies relied on cases of abuse that were either reported in newspapers or also reviewed police records ( 16 , 22 ). Newspapers have been used as sources of health data in Pakistan and for reporting stigmatized events more frequently than the police ( 29 ). The use of such data in deriving a rate of child abuse is only meant to capture a ‘minimalist’ estimate of the problem and to stimulate a research agendum for child health in Pakistan. It was not clear whether the trend in available ‘estimates’ of child abuse, from 1998 to 2003, was because of more events happening or simply because of better reporting. This distribution of reported cases by gender provided an inconsistent pattern across the studies reviewed here. What is clear is that both girls and boys are victims in Pakistan. The usual reason given for not reporting sex-related crimes is that it has a huge social stigma attached to it, not only for the victim but also for the victim's family. Talking about sex in the conservative Pakistani society is taboo; nevertheless, sexual violation and exploitation of children is happening. It is important that this problem is not just acknowledged, but also explored in terms of its magnitude and impact, and national-level data inform policies and strategies for prevention and control.

The concept of post-event care and victim support for child victims barely exists in Pakistan. Non-governmental organizations have initiated limited support services in some urban parts of the country but there are no data to determine either their accessibility or their effectiveness. Moreover, there are no national centres or publicly-subsidized services of this type across the nation. Our review indicates that weak legislation on elementary education, poor labour laws, and corporal punishment are also a determinant of an increasingly complex situation within which violence against children is perpetrated. This goes beyond health, economics, and development to become a political question; a continued lack of political will is, thus, only going to distance the children of Pakistan from realizing their potential.

The confluence of macro risk factors, such as poverty, poor legal protections, and illiteracy, together with family specific factors, such as large size and unemployment, create an enabling environment for violence against children. Focused research is needed to examine the prevalence, manifestations, and potential interventions for violence against children from a public-health perspective. The health problems reported by children and the extent of human potential destroyed are unknown. It is imperative that healthcare providers find alternative ways to identify and address violence as an issue threatening the future of children. It is crucial for policy-makers in Pakistan to recognize that children are particularly vulnerable to violence and that ignoring child rights only further threatens their health and development while they are trapped in a cycle of poverty and helplessness.

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Essay on Curbing Child Abuse in Pakistan with quotations

 If you want to download smart syllabus English essays for 2nd year students, do it here. Another way to get all the essays is to copy them to a new document file. So, this is an essay written "Curbing Child abuse" for 2nd year class 12. This essay has been written in the context of Pakistan. This topic is present in the English smart syllabus of class 12 for 2021 exams.

English essay on Curbing Child Abuse for 2nd year

Although the essay is for 2nd year class 12, yet is equally fit for BA and Associate Degree students. It is also the best length for class 10 students. It can be used in the context of other countries with similar conditions. The outline of the essay is given and quotations are included.

Child abuse essay with quotations

1. What is child abuses

2. Different forms of child abuse

3. Child abuse in Pakistan

4. Curbing the child abuse

5. Govt laws

6. Role of parents and society

7. Conclusion

When the gates of mockery and abuse is opened, the heart becomes a shock absorber ― Ikechukwu Izuakor

Child abuse casts a shadow the length of a lifetime - Herbet Ward

How do you forgive the people who are supposed to protect you? ― Courtney Summers

If you say there is no such thing as morality in absolute terms, then child abuse is not evil, it just may not happen to be your thing.― Rebecca Manley Pippert

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Child Abuse in Pakistan

2019, Tayaba

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Impact of Child Abuse and Neglect on Academic Performance of Learners in Selected Secondary Schools in Harare District, Zimbabwe

25 Pages Posted: 6 Sep 2024

Rosemary Madzore

University of South Africa (UNISA)

Velisiwe Gasa

Background In Zimbabwe, child maltreatment is a widespread problem that may have an impact on academic achievement. This study intends to investigate how child abuse affects academic performance among students in five secondary schools in the Harare District of Zimbabwe, as well as the experiences and perspectives of educators and parents in this respect. Objective The purpose of the study is to determine the frequency of child abuse in a subset of secondary schools in the Harare District, the effect that abuse has on students' academic performance, and the social and cultural elements that contribute to this problem. Participants and Setting The study used purposeful sampling and a qualitative methodology to select participants from five secondary schools in Zimbabwe's Harare District. Five school heads, ten educators, and ten parents were among the participants, selected based on their backgrounds and willingness to engage. Methods Focus groups and participant interviews are used for data collection. The interviews are transcribed and coded using deductive and inductive approaches to find patterns and themes. The social learning theory provides the theoretical foundation for this investigation.

Keywords: Child abuse, academic performance, secondary schools, cultural and social factors

Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation

Rosemary Madzore (Contact Author)

University of south africa (unisa) ( email ), do you have a job opening that you would like to promote on ssrn, paper statistics, related ejournals, pedagogy ejournal.

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