Background

Childhood is the most beautiful phase of life. It is the only phase of life we wish to see back again in our life. The sweet memories, childhood games, friends, and happiness all are priceless. But the fact is not all child blessed with the sweetness of childhood. They have to face the worst reality of life in their childhood. Children suffering from neglect, physical abuse, and sexual abuse.

About 4 million cases of child abuse and neglect are reported each year, involving nearly 7 million children. The highest rate of child abuse is for infants under one year of age or under 3 years of age.

Child abuse causes the death of a child's innocent, childhood. They develop fear for lifelong, which makes them weak day by day.

Types of abuse

• Physical Abuse - when a child's body is hurt as a result of pinching, choking, slapping, kicking, or purposely hitting the child.
• Sexual Abuse - a sexual act forced on a child without their consent, a child does not understand it. A study shows one in every five girls, and one in twenty boys was sexually abused before the age of 18. More than 90 percent child know their abuser.
• Child neglect - is the most common reason for child abuse. It includes physical, emotional, medical, and educational neglect. The emotional well-being of your child is destroyed by it.

Characteristics of abuse

It's not easy to acknowledge the characteristics of child abuse. We need to be aware of it. Whenever you saw sudden changes in child behavior like - social isolation, violent behavior attempts to run away, stomachaches with no medical cause, genital bleeding, any injury (like fracture, bruise, head, and abdominal injuries), not being able to gain weight or sudden weight gain, depression, nightmares, school failure, sudden onset of bedwetting, reduce self - confidence.

Long term effect of abuse

A child can develop depression, suicidal thoughts, etc. it affects more his mental condition than his physical condition. which makes his life vulnerable and fearful to whole his life. It affects his future relationship, education, sexual difficulties, and suicidal thoughts. child completely changes into a fearful person. With time all these things get worsen. due to his/her decreased concentration in study, classmates also start making fun of this child. they need help but are unable to ask for help.

Prevent abuse

We need to prevent this abuse in our child childhood and life. We prevent this by having good communication with our children. They must not fear that if they say anything to their parents, their parents do not blame them. We need to teach our children about good and bad touch education. We need to realize that how important they are to us, and how much belief we have in them. most child abuse occurs in those children who are neglected by their parents for a long time. we need to give much more time to our children, have a daily conversation with the child, and listen to his every small thing, maybe this thing is not small for us. we have to make the child realize that being a parent you are the safest person in his life, he can talk anything to you. We need to educate children about all these things despite their small age, don't be shy in front of children to teach them about good and bad touch. like no one touches their private parts. If he is not comfortable about hugging or kissing anyone else, he has the right to say no. We need to teach our children that it's okay to be not okay and also teach them about ask help whenever they need it.

Ask for help!

If parents found that their child is abused they need to get help from the doctor and file a report against that person. The doctor checks the child, recommends a therapist, and provides all the information to the investigator. There is no meaning of hide these things because you may save your child from the abuser by going to some other place but don't forget that abuser now going to hurt another child and he always has a negative impact, and fear for your child for lifelong. In the case of child abuse, the first thing to preserve the child's safety and make him comfortable is to tell him about his situation. By hiding these things we create new victims which makes these abusers more powerful. If a child is abused during his childhood, it's near the death of humanity.

Conclusion

Child abuse is unable to explain in words because just think of a child who is not able to understand the things which happen to him, even not able to present his/her threat to anyone. being a child, how can we suppose that he/she takes decisive action by himself/herself? we need to come in support of our children, to make them brave, to make them comfortable so they can communicate with us about their day, threat, fear, and being uncomfortable with anyone's touch. if we save any child from abuse. We not only save his/her childhood but we save his life from a fear that we can't even imagine.

A child's childhood is full of innocence, brightness, and love, please don't kill it for the pleasure of two-three minutes, It may become his lifetime fear, which may take him/her to bury in the graveyard.

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