Perspectives On Child Abuse
Posted: Thursday, November 26, 2009
by Rahaman Onike
Child constitutes part of dependent population of any nation. In some cultures, anyone who is under the parental influence, no matter the age is a child. The variation of age limit of a child from one region to another can be attributed to lack of uniformity in the cultural systems across the globe. The United Nations Convention on the rights of the child defines any human being below the age of eighteen (18) years as a child. Child abuse however manifests in a multi-dimensional ways. Child abuse therefore means any form of cruelty to a child's physical, moral or mental well-being. Child abuse also means physical abuse, sexual abuse and neglect which may result in bruises, broke bones permanent physical or developmental impairment, emotional trauma or death.
In the traditional African society, children do perform family errands depending on their abilities as part of socialization process. However, child labour in its contemporary form has been stretched beyond the purview of the traditional African setting. Today child labour is in great demand because it is cheap and the children who are victims are naturally more docile, easier to mould and manipulate than adults.
As a form of exploitation, child labour makes the victims vulnerable to sexual as well as other physical abuses. Some children are used as domestic servants working long hours for a pittance. Thus, child labour is hard, hazardous; damages health for life deprives children of education and the normal enjoyment of their early years.
Another form of abuse of child right is child trafficking. The trafficking in children is one of the gravest violations of human rights in the world today. As a social phenomenon, it has significant regional and international dimensions. Criminal rings are involved in the smuggling of children across international frontiers. As a broad term, trafficking in persons; mean the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of persons, by means of the threat or use of force or other forms of coercion of abduction, of fraud, of deception, of the abuse of power or of a position of vulnerability or of the giving or receiving of payment or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person, for the purpose of exploitation.
Parental neglect, deprivation and abdonment are forms of child abuses. Violence against a child and other humiliating and degrading treatments are other instances of abuse on a child. Dragging children into arm conflict could equally expose them to serious dangers. As a matter of fact, forcible recruitment of children mainly male children into military service has been reported in many parts of the world, in the process of which many have died or become disabled in armed operations, while other have been tortured, beaten or kept as prisoners of war.
Also, certain traditional practices violate the right of a child, the principal among which are child marriage and debt bondage. Child marriage is otherwise known as forced marriage. This is a situation whereby a child is forced to marry at an age when he or she is incapable of giving informed consent. The consequence of child marriage, is the increase likehood of early pregnancy, with its attendant risks of vascular vaginal vistula (VVF) which is a serious condition of vesicle impairment as a result of having children at too early an age.
Debt bondage, of course, is like a form of traditional slavery in which a child is held till the parent fully paid the debt owed. The practice of debt bondage is common in African and it violates the right of a child. Except for religious reasons, the practice of female circumcision otherwise known as female genital mutilation is serious forms of violation child right especially the female ones.
Another aspect of violation of the child's right by traditional practices is the infliction of facial tribal marks (FTM) on a child. Apart from the fact that the marks permanently disfigure the child, they are inflicted on him, without his consent as same is usually carried out at a tender age when the child knows nothing of what is happening to him. Although, there has been a general out cry against facial tribal marks, nevertheless the practice is still prevalent in Africa .
By
Onike Rahaman
Freelance writer and editorial consultant.
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