Child Abuse – one of the four themes addressed in the art exhibition “Change Within ’12”
View(s):Child abuse is, in its simplest explanation is, the physical, mental or sexual maltreatment that may cause injury to individuals below the age of eighteen. I can fill this article up with mortifying statistics about how numbers from around the world show that children are being abused at a horrendous rate but I choose not to do so. Purely because I know that the numbers are freely available, anywhere and enough organizations are working with numbers to try to fix this problem. The fact is there is little that an individual person can do about the millions of children suffering abuse every second of every day. Nevertheless, there is a lot that this one individual can do to change the situation for one person they may know personally. We do not always consider all the different ways in which we may cause harm to other people. The term “Abuse”, plays our minds to believe that it only refers to harsh or violent actions, however in reality it refers to any form of maltreatment. This includes neglect, exposure to explicit sexual content and emotional maltreatment.
Today the situation is far different to the one that existed thirty –forty years ago. In the time of our parents and grandparents it was not unusual for children to be beaten, forced into to having sexual relationships, verbally abused, neglected and for children of less privileged backgrounds to not attend school and work in more privileged households for money. At present most of these actions are offences that are punishable by law. However, this is not to say that it does not still take place. The fact is that what happened forty years ago in the open is now taking place behind closed doors, the closed doors of many people you yourself may know.
Authorities both local and international have been working for years in trying to put a stop to child abuse in the country. However, in a country like ours the culture and social structure is such that it is difficult to effectively reduce child abuse and neglect, especially because most often it takes place within the immediate family. Involving law enforcement or other such authorities in a family matter will provoke numerous issues to surface; therefore, most often cases of abuse go unreported and therefore undetected. It is time that this culture changed. It is time that people realized and recognized the harm that abuse is causing not only to these children but also to the future of our nation, because, these children are the future. Abuse during the younger years will result in irreparable damage, both physical and psychological that will carry on until they die. It will affect their education, their relationships, their health and all in all their general success in life. If this is not stopped now, we are most certainly looking at a scarred future for our country as a whole.
It is up to each individual to do his or her part. The first step will be to educate yourself, about not only what Child abuse is but also what it will result in and what actions you can take to put a stop to it. Then carefully analyze yourself and people you know to identify if anyone of you knowingly or unknowingly is committing this crime. Finally, do something about it. Correct yourself, speak to people and spread awareness because there maybe people who are doing wrong but are not realizing it.
Whichever issue it may concern, the change must come from the people. No amount of organizations no amount of funding money, will change people unless they themselves are willing to change. To see a change in this world, we must be willing to change ourselves. Do your little bit for this world, don’t hire an underage child to work at home instead encourage his parents to send him to school, if your neighbor is beating his child black and blue everyday stand up to him tell him its wrong, if your teacher is making sexual advances towards your friend make sure you let him know that it is not right and that you will do something about it, don’t turn your face away from the ground you walk on because the picture up in the sky is better to look at. You live on that ground you walk on, it is the real deal and if it is messy, it is up to you to clean it up. Realize that the best change in the world is the change every individual makes from within. So next time when you see a child being abused, do not just turn your eyes away, do something about it.
The Art Club of ANC Education is now giving you an opportunity to express your thoughts and feelings about child abuse, abortion, substance abuse, and sexual harassment, through any form of visual art. An exhibition and competition of artwork based on these topics will be held on 31st November and 1st December. For more information and to register please email us at artclubanc@gmail.com
-Bhagya Wickramage Student of Psychology ANC Education
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