What is child abuse?
Most people believe that children are the world's most valuable resource and should be loved and cherished However, because they are dependent on adults for nurturing and can neither look after themselves nor fight for rights, they are often treated badly and abused. A report published by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 1999 claimed that more than 40 million children around the world suffer from abuse and maltreatment.
But things are beginning to change. Did you know that the United Nations has a special Convention on the Rights of the Child and that Article 19and Article 34 of this Convention deal specifically with child abuse?
Child abuse has been defined as 'all forms of physical, and/or emotional treatment or commercial or other exploitation, resulting in actual and potential harm to the child's right to health, survival, development or dignity in the context of a relationship of responsibility, trust or power. It is being increasingly recognized that even children deserve to be treated with dignity and that their freedom should be respected From the year 2000, 20 November is celebrated as the International Day for the Rights of the Child and 19 November is World Day for the prevention of Child Abuse.
Since India is a poor country and we can barely guarantee our children basic health, nutrition and shelter, there is little time and opportunity to think about the rights of children or of their abuse. Also, because of our tradition of giving unquestioning respect to elders, the convention of not letting outsiders know of problems within the family and viewing children as the property of parents, a great deal of child abuse is tolerated in our society. People are neither willing to talk about it nor report it to the police or other authorities Since awareness is he only effective response to silence and denial, taking about this issue this and making as many people as possible aware of it is the only way to deal with this violation of children's rights.
A) i) Define child abuse.
ii) Which day is celebrated as international day for the rights of the child?
iii) Which day is called as world day for the prevention of child abuse?
iv) Explain why the child abuse is tolerated in Indian society.
v) List the ways by which effective response can be created in public about child abuse.