Wednesday, 29 January 2014

"19 Days of Activism for prevention of abuse and violence against children and youth 1-19 November"

Activism for prevention of abuse and violence against children and youth.

Violence against children and youth is all too common. It is likely you have heard stories of people whose lives have been touched by violence: A child seriously injured at the hands of a parent. A teenager involved in an abusive dating relationship. A youth shot and killed after an argument with another teen etc.

The toll and nature of deaths due to violence against children and youth is staggering. Each year more than 1,500 children ages 5 to 17 die from child abuse and neglect; and about 80% of deaths occur among children younger than age 4.More than 5,000 young people ages 1 to 24 were murdered, making homicide the second leading cause of death for this age group. In most of the countries, adults are harming children. Children are abused or neglected. They live in angry and violent environments where there is substance abuse. It mostly happens in rural and isolated communities, in settlements and on reserves. The children may become fearful and anxious. They may believe the whole world is a dangerous place. They may become aggressive, lashing out, bullying others and eventually, they inturn may become violent lashing out frustration building inside them. They may become passive and very obedient, thinking they cannot change any part of their lives. They may lose energy and hope, and disconnect from the real world. They may have trouble learning, because so much of their brain is busy dealing with the stress of an abusive environment They may be at greater risk of growing up to be abusive to others, to be abused, or both.

If children continue to be exposed to violence and abuse, the trauma will continue to affect their brains and development. There is no question that some children grow up in homes where the adults are abusive and violent toward each other. In some of these homes, violence is directed against the children too, thus adding to their discomfiture and eventually making them fearful. They start getting afraid within themselves and also with anyone they see.

However, things are changing. There are some reasons for hope. As a society, we know much more than we used to about what helps children grow up to be strong and healthy. More people know that child abuse exists, and that it is harmful to children. Quite a lot of people are willing to notice that a child may be at risk of abuse or neglect. Many people are reporting their concerns about a child or young person who may be in an abusive situation. Furthermore, I believe that the youth should take initiative in such things and more and more people should join hands to raise voice against this inhumane activity.

Thank you!



Writen by

Amna Ijaz.
Pakistan

End Violance Against Children

Her name was Sara

She was only five

Her only "fault" was that she was an illegitimate child

And was the reason her parents were "forced" to live together

This is what happened

...When she was alive



Her dad was a drunk

Her mom was an addict

Her parents kept her

Locked in an attic



Her only friend

was a little toy bear

It was old and worn out

And had patches of hair



She always talked to it

When no one was around

She lays there and hugs it

Not a peep of sound



Until her parents

unlock the door

Some more and more pain

She'll have to endure



A bruise on her leg

A scar on her face

Why would she be

In such a horrible place?



But she grabs her bear

And softly cries

She loves her parents

But they want her to die



She sits in the corner

Quiet but thinking,

" God, why? Why is

My life always sinking? "



Such a bad life

For a sad little kid

She'd get beaten and beaten

For anything she did



Then one night

Her mom came home high

The poor child was hit and slapped

As hours went by



Then her mom suddenly

Grabbed for a blade

It was sharp and pointy

One that she made



She thrusted the blade

Right in her chest,

" You deserve to die

You worthless pest! "



The mom walked out

Leaving the girl slowly dying

She grabbed her bear

And again started crying



Police showed up

At the small little house

They quickly barged in

Everything was as quiet as a mouse



One officer slowly

Opened a door

To find the sad little girl

Lying on the floor



It must have been bad

To go through so much harm

But at least she died

With her best friend in her arms

And so, instead of dying everyday she died once and for all!


INDEED IT IS HIGH TIME WE STOP THIS INHUMANE ACTIVITY!


By Zainab Ijaz.

Pakistan

Voice from Bangladesh- an ugly truth

Child prostitution is pejorative and pernicious. It is waste of talent. It impedes a child from being ''himself''. It suppresses him all throughout his life and pushes him into a dreadful abyss from where there is no escape.
Child prostitution is rampant in my country, Bangladesh. Indigent, unfortunate, vulnerable, vagrant, disabled children become victims of it. Most of these children live in filthy, squalid areas of slums or brothels. Many are child labors who are exploited by their employers in factories or domestic households. Truth seems stranger than fiction. These children are often under the age of 12. They are supposed to be at school in the morning and at play ground in the evening. However they are found to bargain with customers. They are abused and assaulted, raped and rejected, belittled and even beaten to death. Why should a child have to suffer so miserably? Why should any girl have to give in to ''survival sex''?
In rural parts of the country many young girls are sold by their poor families. Smuggling of women and children out of Bangladesh into neighboring countries such as India, Myanmar is becoming widespread. Human trafficking is thought-provoking and grotesque. To put it bluntly, human trafficking is slavery. It is an ugly truth, a travesty of justice.
Children of prostitutes grow up to take their mother's job. They suffer from a congenital agony and fail to live in concord with society. Child prostitute grows up to become the object of universal derision. The world is a funny place. It scorns and ostracizes them; it uses and finds pleasure in them. These children are mired in dire poverty, deprived from education, debilitated by the cruel reality.

Poverty, negligence of society, nonchalant attitude and ineptitude of political leaders are main reasons why such kind of hostility still continues to exist. Prostitutes should no longer be ''pariahs''. Child prostitution is common in many parts of the world. We must be aware of it and make a concerted effort to help them. Don't you think a child should be given a chance to have a blissful and secured life?

By
Anika Muzib Suchi
Bangladesh

*Three Shortlisted Entries

1 comment: