It is an undisputed fact that Pakistan has one of the world’s worst statistics when it comes to child abuse. According to the Sahil organisation, instances rose by as much as 30 percent in 2021 alone but official reports state that within the last five years, there have only been 343 cases. These numbers just do not add up, especially when factoring in millions of posts supporting media attachments on social media platforms like Facebook. Children are one of the most vulnerable segments of society and it is a shame that barriers like social taboos and pressures stand in the way of their protection.
The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) urged the need to make digital platforms safer for children and encouraged all members of society—particularly parents—to come forward with complaints. Almost eight out of ten children are abused daily through acts of abduction, sodomy, rape and murder. More often than not, the abuser is also known to the victim. These are well-known facts and still, there seems to be little that is being done to protect children on a personal and state-level.
Social pressures and taboos revolving around instances of abuse are major barriers that stand in the way of accountability and protection. People are often more concerned with how society will react to the victim’s abuse rather than the abuse itself. This deters healing and often allows for perpetrators to roam freely, often staying in the lives of the victims. These are the ills of our society and there must be an active effort to move away from such a mentality.
Here is where the role of the government becomes important; awareness campaigns about the damaging effects of abuse must be carried out to educate the masses about the urgency of the situation. Furthermore, the benefits of reporting must be advertised so that the taboo associated with it starts weakening. Even more so, avenues through which people can report these crimes should be easily accessible and a mechanism to incorporate them online should be set up. If there is so much evidence being circulated on social media platforms, the government could create a portal through which the posts are reported and a formal investigation is launched. Regardless of what route we take, what we must be certain about is that child abuse must end, and immediately so.
The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) urged the need to make digital platforms safer for children and encouraged all members of society—particularly parents—to come forward with complaints. Almost eight out of ten children are abused daily through acts of abduction, sodomy, rape and murder. More often than not, the abuser is also known to the victim. These are well-known facts and still, there seems to be little that is being done to protect children on a personal and state-level.
Social pressures and taboos revolving around instances of abuse are major barriers that stand in the way of accountability and protection. People are often more concerned with how society will react to the victim’s abuse rather than the abuse itself. This deters healing and often allows for perpetrators to roam freely, often staying in the lives of the victims. These are the ills of our society and there must be an active effort to move away from such a mentality.
Here is where the role of the government becomes important; awareness campaigns about the damaging effects of abuse must be carried out to educate the masses about the urgency of the situation. Furthermore, the benefits of reporting must be advertised so that the taboo associated with it starts weakening. Even more so, avenues through which people can report these crimes should be easily accessible and a mechanism to incorporate them online should be set up. If there is so much evidence being circulated on social media platforms, the government could create a portal through which the posts are reported and a formal investigation is launched. Regardless of what route we take, what we must be certain about is that child abuse must end, and immediately so.
