THE MOLESTATION AND NEGTLECT OF CHILDREN

 

 

Twenty years ago, the Women’s World Summit Foundation, a nongovernmental organization, launched the World Day for Prevention of Child Abuse.  The above organization together with other international organizations for women’s and children’s issues mobilised governments to take action to take action and prevent child abuse.

 

In 2001, APA through its international office, joined the coalition and also, marked the day November 19^th as the World Day for the Prevention of Child Abuse of children of all races.  

 

Child’s maltreatment is an adult’s action or failure of action that results in physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, neglect or medical neglect of a child.

 

Emotional abuse is one of the most common and harmful forms of child maltreatment and can have lifelong impact, affecting children’s ability to feel safe and loved. In a way, it relates to others and their self-esteem.

 

It includes making fun of a child, name-calling, always finding fault, using harsh words to criticize behaviour and using fear to control behaviour.

 

Obviously, parents want the best for their children and they do not want to beat them as a punishment, as they consider it a marginal behaviour.  But unfortunately, some parents maltreat they children due to frustration because of lack of knowledge of what a child is capable of doing and understanding different ages.  Some lack the skills and strategies to discipline and respond to their children’s difficult behaviour.

 

To stop the above and prevent its consequences on children’s lives, families need to become aware of how they are treating their children.  They also have to know how damaging their behaviour is and the consequences on their children. 

 

Children who are exposed to violence in early life, are more likely to become abusers in the future, have health problems, be depressed, have low self-esteem and fail in school. Parents who maltreat their children need help from an outside source such as parent’s education programmes, a psychologist or some other kind of mental counsellor or a member of the clergy.