We must not only protect our children, but also empower them with necessary education to help stop sexual abuse.
KARACHI: Multitudes of children in Karachi are victims of violence and sexual abuse. A war is being waged against our children. The reality of sexual abuse and violence against children in Karachi is incredibly disturbing. It goes way beyond the horror stories we read in newspapers. This is a topic that we have all probably read about numerous times, but one that we should never stop talking about so long as our children are being preyed upon.
We, as a people, must not only protect our children, but also empower them with the necessary education to help prevent and stop incidences of sexual abuse. We must encourage them to report abuse and also assure them that they will be protected from perpetrators. Parents are in the position to have the most influential role in their children’s lives. They should maintain an open and trustworthy relationship with their children. It is also very important to impart basic kind of awareness; for instance, parents should talk to their daughters and sons about appropriate and inappropriate touching. Our children should be made to know that if anything makes them feel uncomfortable about the way someone touches them, they have the right (no matter who it is) to tell the person that they don’t like being touched that way.
Marium Akram
Published in The Express Tribune, January 25th, 2014.
Like Opinion & Editorial on Facebook, follow @ETOpEd on Twitter to receive all updates on all our daily pieces.
