It has taken South Asian societies quite a long time to come to terms with the meaning of abuse
ISLAMABAD: It has taken South Asian societies quite a long time to come to terms with the meaning of abuse, especially in the context of sexual abuse. The society, at large, still denies or tries to cover up for abuse in marital or parental relationships owing to various reasons. Emotionally draining blood relationships are still a reality unfathomable to many.
Recently, the video of a three-year-old girl beaten and forced to learn her lesson went viral. Corporal punishment or scolding is an age old method of teaching that many households still approve of. However, physical abuse in the long-run unfolds into emotional traumas in majority of the cases, for as a matter of fact childhood experiences mold perceptions and attitude towards things and events for the major part of a child’s life. It is pertinent to note that verbal or physical abuse doesn’t define parents to be unloving as a parent may resort to corporal punishment and yet completely adore their child.
Further, a lack of required emotional affection by parents towards a child often results in lower self-confidence, self-esteem and ability to bond with others. Children are also likely to carry forward the same parenting style as of their parents. Moving onto abuse within marital relationships, adjustment and compromise within a relationship to the point of suffocation is considered to be the beauty of a married life, as a characteristic that bonds two people. However, in reality it is the social stigma attached to a divorce or separation that stops the two from splitting.
Unless we unveil such a cloak of violence — emotional or physical — treated as affection, we will only go on to nurture children with problematic behaviour and mental illnesses, which too isn’t openly spoken about.
Erum Zubair
Published in The Express Tribune, August 25th, 2017.
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