CHILD ABUSE: 5000 children trafficked in Sri Lanka

‘Life’s aspirations come in the guise of children’ – Rabindranath Tagore (Fireflies)

This column dedicated to the notion of making Sri Lanka the Wonder of Asia today turns its spotlight on another malpractice ‘The Horror of Child Abuse’ affecting the aspirations of Sri Lankan society to be free of child abuse.

Who is a child

According to the definition of the United Nations’ Convention on the Rights of the Child, a child is “a human being below the age of 18 years unless under the law applicable to the child.. Child abuse or maltreatment constitutes all

forms of physical and/or emotional ill treatment, sexual abuse, neglect or negligent treatment or commercial or other exploitation, resulting in actual or potential harm to the child’s health, survival, development or dignity in the context of a relationship of responsibility, trust or power. Vulnerable children face five principal types of risk: sexual abuse, emotional abuse, institutional abuse, physical neglect, and non-organic failure to thrive. So automatically it is our responsibility to nurture them, protect them from social evils and provide a safe and peaceful environment for them to grow up. The early childhood development is a triggering fact that decides his or her future life. Therefore the attention should be focused on them. Child has to live in an adult created environment. Every fact and consequence in the contemporary world is cause of elders Children are wonderful and innocent. They make the world a beautiful place. But with the escalating numbers of child abuse cases reported, it is felt that as a nation our attention towards children has been neglected. ’( Spotlight Colombo-Lankapuvath)

Deployed in battlefields

A UNICEF report states that more than 300,000 children have been deployed in battle fields world wide, despite international conventions created to protect children. The report further noted that in the North-Eastern Province , of Sri Lanka ,it is estimated that 2,000 children have been involved in the armed conflict as child soldiers and face difficulties readapting to ordinary life. But other children, not directly involved in the conflict, have also been affected by the war in multiple ways. Many are suffering from traumatic stress due to shocking past events and present living conditions. They are faced with the physical destruction of homes, schools, and hospitals, and are constantly at risk as they live n a heavily mined region.

In Sri Lanka 25% of court cases heard in courts are child abuse cases, reveals a study conducted by the Rehabilitation and Prison Reforms Ministry. A notable feature is majority of children were victimized by their blood relatives. According to the study 51% court cases of Ambilipitiya are on child abuses, 32.7% of Badulla district, 24% Kegalle, 45.27% from Polonnaruwa, 40.17% from Rathnapura, 38.60% from Kandy, 33.16% from Anuradhapura reported as child abuses.Apart from this situation, a large number of children are involved in some form of economic activities or child labour in Sri Lanka. According to the National Survey on Child Labour nearly 26 per cent children living in Sri Lanka engaged in an economic activity while not attending school or any other educational institution. It is reported in the survey that 52 per cent (475,531) of all working children are under 15 years of age The majority of the children engaged in economic activity are boys (62.3 per cent). Furthermore, 95 per cent of all working children reside in rural areas.

5000 children trafficked in Sri Lanka 

The report of the UNICEF: titled The State of the World’s Children 2009 indicates that in Sri Lanka , there is a preliminary estimate of approximately 5,000 children, who have been trafficked internally and currently find themselves in some of the worst forms of child labour, including being conscripted to fight in conflict situations and involved in commercial sex tourism.

The National Child Protection Authority was created as the first governmental organization dedicated to work to secure the rights of children in Sri Lanka . The NCPA have taken several measures to protect Sri Lankan Children from various abuses so far. The ‘Child Line’ hotline service was introduced by the NCPA, aimed at eradicating child abuse and to come to the defence of helpless children.With the sudden increase in the number of child abuse cases in Sri Lanka , Sri Lanka ‘s National Child Protection Authority (NCPA) has appointed a special sub committee to inquire into the rise in child abuse cases. According to NCPA, the sub committee will determine the causes of child abuse in the country and will find ways to minimize such incidents. NCPA Chairperson Anoma Dissanayake has said that the sub committee will be open for ideas and opinions from the public on issues related to child abuse.It has been reported that cases of rape involving children at the hands of close relatives have increased among other abuses.

Parental incest

The effects of child sexual abuse can include depression ,post-traumatic stress,disorder,anxiety propensity to further victimization in adulthood, and physical injury to the child, among other problems. Sexual abuse by a family member is a form of incest, and can result in more serious and long-term psychological trauma, especially in the case of parental incest.

Children are the future leaders of the nation. Society has to protect them and help develop thir skills.

Let me conclude in lighter vein by relating an episode connected with the arrival of children in this world.

Three men were waiting patiently outside the labour ward of the city hospital. A nurse came out and informed the first man that he had become the father of twins. “Twins” he exclaimed “How about that ?I work for the doublemint chewing gum company. “A little later the nurse came out and told the second man that he had become the father of triplets.”Triplets”he said”What a coincidence I work for the 3M Organization! “The third man stood up ashen faced and muttered,”I need some fresh air,I WORK FOR 7 UP..”

Lakshman@lankastandard.c0m

 

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