Over all around 3,832 child abuse cases were reported by newspapers in all four provinces and Islamabad, Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan. Of the total disclosed 3,832 cases, 55 percent of the victims were girls while 45 percent were boys. In contrast, approximately 3,445 such incidents were reported from January to December 2017.
Nearly 3,832 cases of child abuse reported in 2018. Girls identified to be more susceptible between ages 0-5 and 16-18. Boys detectable to be more vulnerable between ages 6 to 10 and 11 to 15.Most child abuse cases reported from Punjab, followed by Sindh and KP. The document, named ‘Cruel Numbers 2018’, has been assembled by keeping close watch on concerning about 85 regional and national newspapers, and from the cases that have been reported. Sahil has been releasing the report for the previous 18 years in collected form.
The fact depicts that cases of child sexual abuse particularly accomplished a rise of a substantial 33 percent when compared with the declared cases of 2017.Sahil ascribed this marvel to the tendency in South Asian cultures to inclination keep girls in home and restrict them from social interaction as a way of restraining any occurrence of sexual abuse, which in turn can make them more exposed to intercourse. Boys, contrary are considered to be not confronting any menacing and this comprehension finally puts boys in a more helpless position, particularly when little boys are sent to shops to buy grocery or to deliver something in the near locality.
The year 2018 witnessed sodomy cases rise by 61 percent and rape cases by 15 percent in contrast to 2017. Like the previous years, a great majority about 72 percent of the child abuse cases in 2018 took place in rural areas and about 28 percent in urban areas. Rawalpindi, Multan and Faisalabad in that order topped the list of the 10 most vulnerable districts in the country. The cases of murder after sexual abuse declined by 16 percent as compared to the 109 cases stated in 2017.
Elders, in common, and parents, in particular, do not educate the younger ones on the issue. Consequently, the children become more exposed to the examples of child abuse as they do not know what to do whenever they find themselves in a situation that can be a possible case of child abuse. The matter has become more difficult as the Sahil research shows that the victims comprise children of all ages, gender, ethnicity and socio and economic classes. Both crime prohibition and social protection device have been unsuccessful to protect children from abuse, particularly sexual abuse. In Pakistan, dependence is on short-term measures like taxing one or two offenders. Nevertheless, like short-term solutions are not sufficient to stop the extensive problem of child abuse. There is no plain way advance to hinder this menace. Pakistan must come up with legislation having no shortcomings there is an immediate need of starting an open dialogue against the issue at hands. The national education curriculum required to be restructured to better educate children about the issue and its various kinds. This way, by pointing out the fault and working together can repair the problem of child abuse.
Leading psychiatrists have been banging at the doors of our government to take tangible measures to restrain the rape and abuse of small children, instead of saying these occurrences as law and order cases only. The campaign started when the Pakistan Association for Mental Health resolute to focus on the sexual abuse of children while observing World Mental Health Day last October. Zainab case had been in headlines nearly every day. The culprit, who had raped and killed several other little girls, was going to be hanged within a few days. The whole country was demanding for the protection of small children. Members of the Pakistan Association for Mental Health were angered and frightened, also alarmed at the fact that the rage generated by the Zainab case had not any reduction of child abuse events. Sahil, an NGO professionalizing this field, had said that the End of Childhood Index ranked Pakistan at number 149 out of 174 countries. Attempts to the government to persuade on child sexual abuse have so far been unsuccessful. There were several other cases in which small girls had met Zainab’s destiny. Yong Safia, Shamsa, were raped and killed. Sitara, vanished while returning from her school. Her family went to the police station near 5pm but could not find the station head till 9pm, and only then was a complaint registered. The next morning, the police announced the identity of a child’s body behind a bush; it was identified as Sitara’s by her parents. A PAMH attaches greater significance to the prevention of child abuse than the treatment of the evidences. The Sindh government has adopted a programme to train teachers in an LSBE course but there is no evidence of the required will or resources. Brutality against children rape is largest menace to the health of to Pakistan’s future. Any positive proposal relating to the education of children that purports to overcome this threat be considered by all provincial governments. It is, no doubt possible that the federal government possesses a better method of protecting children abuse against violence or that any other proposal needs to be simplified one way or another.