INCREASING CASES OF CHILD ABUSE IN THE SOCIETY: CAUSES, CONSEQUENCES AND REMEDIES

INCREASING CASES OF CHILD ABUSE IN THE SOCIETY: CAUSES, CONSEQUENCES AND REMEDIES

One of the blessings of every marriage is ‘child’. Every married couple thus prays to have a child that can immortalize their names and uplift their status in the society in the future. It is one thing for a couple to be blessed with child after marriage, it is however another thing for such child to be adequately catered for to the level that he / she can be useful to himself  / herself and be able to perform the roles expected of him / her.

            Over the years, various cases of child abuse are prevalent in many nations in the world, particularly in African countries. Many of these cases are usually reported in the print and electronic media. Child abuse is a synergy of two words: ‘child’ and ‘abuse’. According to Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary, the word ‘abuse’ is ‘the act of making a bad or wrong use of something’. Child abuse is thus the act of using child in a bad or wrong way.

The scope of child abuse in the society is very wide but includes the following:

-                     trafficking of child (ren) by individuals in the society;

-                     use of child as housemaid where he / she is eventually subjected to different inhuman treatments;

-                     use of child to sell goods, foodstuffs and other items in the open market and along the streets ,thus exposing him / her to hazards like accident, bad weather;

-                     illicit relationship with female child by male teacher(s) in the school system, for the purpose of having sexual intercourse with him / her;

-                     making use of a child for ritual and during ritual rites in the society;

-                     putting tribal marks on the face of a child at a tender age thus subjecting him / her to severe pain;

-                     use of  a child as political thug during electoral campaigns and other political activities;

-                     Circumcision of female child at a tender age (which is prevalent in African countries) thus subjecting him / her to severe pain;

-                     luring female child into prostitution by wealthy male (s) in the society;

-                     engaging pupil / student in different kinds of extra curricular and unapproved  activities in the school like farming, selling of items, washing of clothes by teachers;

-                     Over-flogging of a child by teacher(s) in school and parents / guardians at home.

The prevailing cases of child abuse in the society nowadays are traceable to several factors. Notable among these is the issue of poverty. It is obvious that the society is now poverty ridden. Many households and families are living below standard in many nations in the world. The need for families to make additional income for their sustenance has pushed them into engaging their children in the selling of goods and other items. In the African countries particularly, it is a norm that pupils / students must sell items after the school period. Money realized through this means goes a long way in sustaining those families.

The issue of poverty is complemented by the value system of most countries in the world, which is in favour of making money at all cost and by whatever means. It is thus not surprising that in many countries today, children are used for rituals by those that are desperate to make money. A society where only the wealthy individuals are worshipped while the poor are scorned cannot but record cases of child abuse. Those child traffickers collect rebates from the money made from prostitutes at the end of the year or month.

            Inability to enforce strict disciplinary measure against those involved in the act, has been encouraging it. Those who indulge in the act are celebrated and worshipped in the society rather than being reprimanded to serve as detterent to others.

            High cost of education makes many parents / guardians not to enroll their children in school while also encouraging many pupils / students to drop out of school prematurely. In the Northern part of Nigeria, many children, ‘almajiris’ are found roaming about the streets begging for food, clothes and other necesaries. These school going age children but who unfortunately are un-educated are often used as thugs during political campaigns, riots and religious protests in that part of the country.

The issue of broken home due to marital conflicts, goes a long way in promoting child abuse. Peaceful coexistence among couples is imperative if the dividends of marriage are to be enjoyed. When there is conflict between couple, this can lead to separation and divorce. According to law, either of the couple is free to re-marry. Observation reveals that children from broken home do not usually enjoy adequate care from both parents as they are usually separated from their father but close to their mother. Those children are easily lured into social vices like stealing, armed robbery, prostitution among others so as to be able to keep the body and soul together. Many armed robbers had in the past thus confessed that they took to robbery due to their neglect by  parents / guardians. Many of those children also end up as housemaids in another households and as street children thus subjected to different kinds of inhuman treatments.

            Lack of parental care further promotes child abuse. There is no doubt that parents suppose to show absolute care for their children. According to the biblical passage: teach your child the way he / she should go. When he / she grows up, he / she would not depart from it. There should be a display of love and affection by parents to the children. When these are lacking, it will reflect in negative behaviour of the children in the future.

The role of teachers in the promotion of the act of child abuse, cannot be overemphasized. In some schools, teachers make use of pupils / students for activities like farming, trading, washing of clothes, cooking, among others. Some are into illicit relationship with female pupils / students to the extent of having sexual affair with them in exchange for marks, money and other gifts.

            Cultural factor in some countries further influences child abuse. In some African countries like Nigeria, female children are usually circumcised at tender age while tribal marks are put on the face of children for recognition in the future. In some countries where democracy is still at infancy stage, politicians use children as thugs and for rituals to achieve their selfish interests.

            The issue of child abuse has many negative consequences. It causes premature death of children. Many of the teenage children that sell goods along the streets die off because of accident thus increasing mortality rate in the society while many of them suffer from sickness / illness and weather hazards.

            Premature and teenage pregnancy are now rampant in the society today, many of which are traceable to teachers’ relationship with their female students. The issue has been encouraging over-population of the society as many babies are born without adequate resources to cater for them. There is no doubt that that cases of vices like armed robbery, prostitution, stealing, thuggery and others are rampant in many nations in the world today. It is unfortunate that these are because of child abuse.

            Countries where child abuse s prevalent has low status among the comity of nations while also making the citizens to be treated as ‘pariah’ among their colleagues at international level. Abused child has low emotion. Most of them are usually not happy with their situation. They feel inferior among their colleagues in the society.

At present, nations in the world are subscribing to the ‘Education for All’, and the ‘Milleniun Development Goals’ programmes, having realized the roles of Education towards their development. The issue of child abuse however undermines enrolment in schools and encourages dropping out thus undermining the realization of these objectives.

            Education stakeholders including government, parents / guardians. institution’s administrators and others have roles to play towards the eradication of child abuse in the society.  In this regard, there is the need for parents to be alive to their responsibilities at the home setting. They should not indulge their children in selling of goods and other items and should always educate their children on the dangers that are inherent in premature sexual affair and the need to relate with only the good friends.

            Government of each nation should enact law against child abuse. A stiff penalty should be imposed on those involved. The law should however be implemented rather than being on paper.

 There should be proper orientation of the youths in the society against the negative effects of child abuse. Educational institutions’ administrators should be alive to their responsibilities to maintain discipline in their domains.

Government should continue to promote those anti child abuse activities in the society. Sponsoring of workshops, lectures, conferences and symposiums on the menace can help in achieving the goal. Parents should continue to give proper moral training to their children. An adage goes thus ‘charity begins at home’. If the parents can succeed in giving good moral training to their children, little is left for government to do while the society would be spared the agony in the future.