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J
ust
, P
e aceful
and
I
nclusi v e
S
ocieties
Towards the safety of children
PI Anuradha, Lecturer, Department of Public Administration, University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Sri Lanka
E
very child has the right to grow up in a safe environ-
ment. Despite that, many cases of child abuse are
reported continually. It is a very serious social issue
everywhere in the world and it affects millions of children
each year. We must take a look at how child abuse has
grown and become a part of society. It has precedents in
history, for example in early Rome, the father had power to
sell or kill his children. In Hawaii, Japan and China chil-
dren with disabilities were killed to maintain a strong race
while avoiding overpopulation.
Child abuse can be defined as any action by another person
that causes significant harm to a child. It may take many
forms; sexual, physical, and emotional. A child is sexually
abused when they are forced or persuaded to take part in
sexual activities. Physical abuse is the deliberate hurting of
a child, causing injuries. A child who is emotionally abused
suffers emotional maltreatment or neglect. The National
Child Protection Authority in Sri Lanka received 10,732
complaints of different forms of child abuse during 2015.
2,327 of those reported cruelty; 735 sexual harassment; 433
rape; 365 grave sexual abuse. 1,463 reports were received
concerning children not receiving compulsory education
and there were 885 reports of neglect. The total number has
increased by 417 compared to 2014. This shows how severe
the problem is.
Signs of child abuse are not always obvious, and a child
might not tell anyone what has happened to them because
of being afraid of the consequences. Some parents know
nothing of what has happened to their children. Sometimes
children don’t understand that they are abused. The effects
might last a long time, sometimes into adulthood. If someone
has been abused as a child, it is more likely that they will
suffer again, facing emotional difficulties such as anger,
anxiety or sadness and also suffering from mental health
problems like depression. Further, they are more likely to
use alcohol which could result in struggling with parent-
ing or relationships and they may refuse to attend school
ultimately delaying the reaching of development milestones.
Recent research has found that a loving, caring and stimulat-
ing environment during the first three years of a child’s life is
important for proper brain development while children who
receive maltreatment in the early years may actually have
suboptimal brain development.
Among different forms of child abuses, child sexual abuse
is a very serious phenomenon. Surveys by rape crisis centres
and sexual assault centres showed that one out of three girls
and one out of seven boys are sexually abused before they
reach the age of eighteen. The World Health Organization
also asserts that an estimated 20 per cent of all women are
victims of sexual abuse.
Seya Sadewmi’s story is one among many cases of child sex
abuse. Seya was a four year old Sri Lankan child who was
kidnapped, raped and murdered. She went missing from her
house while sleeping with her mother, her father being not
at home. When the father returned and asked where the girl
was, the mother told him that she assumed that she had gone
to sleep in her grandmother’s bed. They made no further
investigation before going to sleep and discovered that the
child was missing the next morning. The naked body of Seya
was discovered near a canal that morning. The subsequent
investigation found that she had been sexually assaulted.
Like little Seya, the same incident can happen to other chil-
dren. We have a responsibility to do all that we can for these
children. Some of us promote awareness, some donate time
and money while some enforce laws protecting children from
all kinds of abuse. Child abuse is not always easy to stop, but
it is preventable. The majority of sexual abuse happens at the
hands of an adult well known to the child, but that’s what
makes it harder to notice.
Efforts at prevention should start at home. Through activ-
ities such as parent education and parent support groups,
many families will receive support in caring for their chil-
dren within their homes. Parents may lack in understanding
of their children’s developmental stages and hold unreason-
able expectations of their abilities. They may also be unaware
of how to discipline their children most effectively at each
age, resulting in harm. Prevention efforts can also enable
parents to understand their child’s emotional, physical and
developmental needs.
Every child needs a strong relationship with parents and they
often learn by example. Parental behaviour, values and attitudes
have a strong influence on children. The family is the first and
most immediate social environment to which a child is exposed
and where a child develops its basic attitudes. Hence, family
members can also play a valuable role in reducing violence
– many cases have been reported where girls were sexually
abused by their brother’s friends. So, it is a responsibility of
parents and other family members to keep violence away from
their homes and to care for, rather than punish, their children.
It is very important for parents to keep an open line of
communication between themselves and their children.
For many, disclosure of sexual abuse is difficult to accept.
Children who do disclose sexual abuse often tell a trusted
adult or friend other than a parent. Therefore, training people
who work with children in any capacity is very important.