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Child Abuse: The Nepalese Scenario

By DR. NIRANJAN PRASAD UPADHYAY

Child abuse is a term that generally refers to mistreatment of a child by a parent or another adult. There is no standard definition of child abuse, however. A narrow definition is limited to life-threatening physical violence, including severe beatings, burns and strangulation. A broader definition includes any treatment other than the most favorable care, and includes neglect, sexual or emotional abuse and exploitation. No one knows how many instances of child abuse occur every year because many cases are never reported. Many social scientists once believed that only people with severe emotional problem would abuse children. However, studies indicate that most individuals who abuse children do not suffer from traditional psychiatric illnesses. Another common view is that abused children grow up to be abusive adults, a development referred to as the cycle of abuse. But research has shown that abused children do not necessarily become abusers as adults.

Usually, abuse is represented in diversified forms, that is physical, sexual, neglect, emotional and parental. Inappropriate punishment, verbal abuse, and scapegoat are also forms of emotional or psychological child abuse. Although the magnitude of sexual abuse of children is unknown, it is considered to be an escalating problem, and one that can result in serious psychological damage among victims. There are no reliable statistics available for emotional abuse and neglect, but these types of child abuse are as potentially damaging to their victims as are various forms of physical abuse. Child abuse extends across racial, ethnic, and socio-economic lines, but there are consistently more reports concerning children born into poverty. The reporting of child abuse is complicated by the private nature of the crime, the fearfulness of the child, and strong motivation for denial in the abuser.

Nepalese psychiatrists Mahendra K. Nepal and Prakash M.Shrestha conducted a retrospective study on child abuse in 1999. They collected data from various campuses in Kathmandu. Their research findings led to various conclusions related to child abuse. In Nepal, child victims of sexual abuse are both male and female. Child sexual abuse is prevalent among all the ethnic groups. Most child sexual abuses occur between the age of 11 and 15 years. The perpetrators are especially family members, relatives, neighbors and teachers. Though clinical experience indicates that physical and sexual abuse is common in Nepal, people do not take sexual abuse as a topic for discussion in public. It is suggested to victims, or they are even threatened, to keep their mouths shut, and, as a result, they become anxious and desperate.

Child sexual abuse is very great problem. It is prevalent all over the world and Nepal is no exception. Reports of incidents of violence against children are frequently published in the print media. Sexual abuse of children is commonly associated with severe emotional problems. Today, many experts believe child abuse is widespread because society regards physical punishment by parents as a reasonable way of changing children's behavior. Thus, adults who hurt children sometimes only intend to correct them and do not realize how easily children can be injured. Another cause of child abuse is stress. Parents, who are unemployed, very isolated or under great stress for other reasons are more likely to abuse their children than parents who do not have such problems. Researchers have shown that children who are difficult to care for, such as premature infants and handicapped children, create more stress for parents. Thus, such children are more likely to be abused than are other children.

Child Network News, Kathmandu has highlighted that violence against the girl includes physical, psychological and sexual abuse, commercial sexual exploitation in pornography and prostitution. Child sexual abuse is any use of children for the sexual gratification of adults. Various researchers have shown that between 36 percent and 65 percent of sexual assault victims are aged 15 or less. Child sexual abuse may occur in any part of society but is discovered more commonly in poor families. The commercial exploitation of children occurs in different forms, i.e., child prostitution and pornography, the trafficking of children for sexual purpose and bonded labor. Many factors can plot to push children into exploitive and abusive situation. Well-documented cases show that families are often deceived by the promise of job opportunities for the children. Sometimes, girls are sent away from home to work and become subjected to physical and sexual abuse. Street children may be at particular risk. With no means of economic or social support, they may be forced to rely on prostitution for survival. Medical expert Dr. Harihar Wasti emphasizes that in the case of sexual abuse, medical workers should keep a detailed records pertaining to a full pediatric history with particular emphasis on genitourinary or bowel symptoms and details of previous abuse or sexual offences within the family or house hold.

In 1998, RAHI an Indian NGO carried out research among English speaking middle and upper class women living in metropolitan cities of India. Some 76 percent of the women responded that they were sexually abused in childhood. The study is based on screening of 1,000 college women, housewives and employed women out of which 600 responded. It was found that 71 percent of the abusers were family members, relatives or acquaintances.

Childhood influences and experiences shape human life. The love, care, protection and support received in childhood play a vital role in the growth and personality. However, some unfortunate children have to go through certain misery that would seriously hamper their development. The tender souls get deeply wounded by such miseries resulting in serious damage of the personality. In the real world, disclosing abuse can have serious negative consequences including the breakup of the family -and, there is significant pressure to recant. The reaction of the person to whom the disclosure is made has consistently been shown to have an impact on the psychological sequel of childhood sexual abuse.

Psychologists remark that when parents are unhappy in their parental roles or when a frictional relationship exists between them, some babies become the targets of anger and resentment. The babies are either neglected or abused. An occasional but very serious family-relationship hazard during early childhood is child abuse. This may take forms varying from mild abuse in the form of slaps to such serious abuse as to lead to the permanent disability or death of the child.

Psychologically, if the care of young children is turned over to older siblings, especially when mothers work outside the home, older brothers more often abuse their younger siblings than do older sisters. Child abuse is also not uncommon when the care of young children is turned over to pay caretakers, especially male caretakers. This is more likely to occur when the caretakers are high school students than adults.

The problem of sexual abuse has received much attention in newspapers and on television. Children are warned not to let people, even family members, touch them in ways that make full uncomfortable. Children also are instructed to tell frustrated adult if they are sexually abused. Psychologically, media can play positive role to educate the people about child abuse.

Finally, child abuse controlling needs the joint efforts of different personnel like clinical psychologists, sociologists, psychiatrists, journalists, medical experts, legal experts and government and non-government organizations. Also the researchers have stressed that basic health education should be included in the school curricula and awareness program be carried for parents to create awareness about the issue of child abuse.

(Upadhyay is a psychologist at the Public Service Commission)