Aminath Shuzuna

S12425705

Purpose
The purpose of this course work is to analyse and evaluate the nature of
child abuse in todays world and to rationalize the consequences in the
context of physical, mental, social, psychological, and overall well-being of
the victim.

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In Need of A Hand to Break Down the Wall of Silence!

Twinkle twinkle little star, how I wonder what you are is not only thing
that every child gets to wonder in his/her childhood. Fortunate are those
children who get to experience their childhood with bars of candies, toys,
chocolates and ice creams, poems and rhymes, laughter, smiles and
giggles, and foremost important- tender care and unconditional love. Well,
that is how a childhood should be; it was written in the novel A Child
called "It by Dave Pelzer, Childhood should be carefree, playing in the
sun; not living a nightmare in the darkness of the soul (Pelzer, 1995).
However, fate always does not play nicely with everyone. Children who
are abused physically, mentally, verbally or sexually deal and grow up
with sobs, grieves, tears and silence; fact is that though physical wound
gets healed, there always are scars left with unhealed wounds mentally.
Apparently, there are millions of victims for different forms of child abuse
across the globe. Asia and Pacific, being a home for over 580 million
children or even it can be said that over a quarter of worlds children; over
30% of these children are physically ill-used including constrained sex,
creating long lasting harm, is reported by the United Nations' youngsters'
trust UNICEF (Win, 2012). In Maldives only, there are over 380 reported
cases of child abuse in 2014, which is relatively high compared to other
Asian countries, in terms of population. The latest tragedy on child abuse
in Republic of Maldives is the murder case of an innocent toddler named
Ibthihal by his mother. The reports in alliance with Maldives Police Service
confirmed that the boy was severely beaten to death (Aruma, 2015). Cruel
monsters sometimes human are. That is the worst, however there are
more scalp prickling cases occurred in tiny islands of Maldives.
While, discussing on child abuse, it is important to acknowledge what
Child Abuse actually is meant. One universally known definition for child
abuse is regarded as Any recent act or failure to act on the part of a
parent or caretaker which results in death, serious physical or emotional
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harm, sexual abuse or exploitation; an act or failure to act which presents

an imminent risk of serious harm (Stone, 2012). The fact need to be
accepted is that child abuse itself is a broad context- meaning it is not
only about violating children sexually, but there are numerous acts that
contributes to child abuse.
Firstly, neglect and emotional abuse; which can be considered as most
common type of child abuse, are very terrible and lead children to various
devastating situations. It is always believed that emotional and mental
hurt are more fatal to any individual than physical hurt. But then the
physical abuse too contributes to emotional abuse, as a matter of fact.
Emotional

abuse

is

acts

that

result

children

to

be

disturbed

psychologically and socially. Anybody is capable of abusing children

without being violent or sexually abusive, just anybody. Parents are
normally first parties to inflict emotional pain to their children. Ignorance
sometimes leads parents to be abusive mentally, while on the other hand
they do it purposefully. Sometimes thinking that they are correcting and
rectifying childrens behaviour, many parents become more aggressive.
They think by shouting, depriving of basic needs for time being,
intimidating children, manipulating them in different ways and even for
worse emotionally black mailing them, would do no harm since no
physical wounds will be there; but did they really cared and worried the
impression they were creating doing such things or did they ever thought
of the dark path they were leading their children into.
Emotional abuse is not only occurring in home and family environment.
Children can be abused emotionally by external environment too such as,
by school. Bullying is fortunately extremely prohibited universally;
although there still are cases daily or frequently of bullying, which is a
very critical form of mental abuse. Children can be bullied by their friends,
teachers and also from strangers. Neglect is also a form of emotional
abuse, although it can be a form of physical abuse too. Depriving of care
and love also failure in providing children with needs will lead children in
abusive emotional situations, while it also leads to worst physical
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conditions. For instance, neglecting children would lead children harming

themselves and it creates opportunities for strangers and predators to
exploit and abduct or kidnap children. Most pedophile cases occurred
throughout the world is due to parents neglecting their children.
Violence and sexual exploitations are forms of physical abuse. Physical
abuse is referred as any act that harms children in forms of breaking
bones and ribs, bruising and cutting and damage of external and internal
organs. Physical abuse can be done by burning, hitting and striking with
objects, forced and constrained sex and also tying with ropes and wires.
There are millions of cases reported worldwide, only of sexual abuse, each
year. Most of the time, physical abuse leads in worst health conditions and
even deaths of victims. Mostly, in the first hand, most of the children
suffer from physical abuse from home environment. Situations and
problems in family life make parents and caregivers to put out the
frustrations being violent to their kids. Even in sexual abuse, as matters of
fact, most of the victims happen to fully acknowledge the culprit and
worst is that many of them are from family. Even worse is that the culprit
sometimes happen to be is their own biological father or mother.
Sometimes any children become the prey of organized sexual abuse. It
happens when the perpetrators attempt in exploiting the child multiple
times involving multiple predators. BDSM is a worse form of sexual abuse
when it comes to children. Nobody can deny the fact that BDSM is a
disgusting thing although people claim that it is a form of sexual pleasure.
The question is that who would be sexually grateful when they are
constrained and tied or whipped and spanked by belts and crops even
gagged and hanged from ropes. Well, there are people in parts of the
world

who

practices

BDSM

(Bondage/Discipline/Dominance/Submission/Sadism/Masochism) even with

minors and underage children. A very famous novel from EL James, Fifty
Shades Trilogy also highlighted that BDSM is a disgrace to humanity. The
novel was all about a boy who was introduced to BDSM at age of 15 by an
older woman, and then all he did was BDSM in his life until he met his

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angel. Therefore it can be said that children who come across with such
sexual abuse, will find it hard to practice safe sex and discipline.
The consequences of child abuse are very devastating. Sexual abuse
leads in various health hazards, such as damage of ovary and other major
internal organs. Also, it sometimes leaves victim paralyzed or comatose.
Raped victims and other victims who were physically abused, bullied and
neglected attempts suicide and do suicide believing there is no use of
living in the cruel world. Briefly extreme and rehashed injury amid youth
may have continuing impacts upon both neurobiological and mental
improvement modifying anxiety responsively and changing grown-up
conduct designs. These people encounter an incredibly expanded danger
of state of mind, uneasiness and identity issue for the duration of grownup life.
Glancing at the environment of Maldives, there are hundreds of cases
reported, as mentioned earlier. Well the young toddler murder case is the
worst so far, but there are other cases reported simultaneously. The cases
include mothers allowing their lovers to exploit their children. Articles in
Haveeru Online confirmed it. Criminal Court on Tuesday extended
remand period for woman who let her 14-year old daughter be sexually
abused by her 42 year old lover, and the lover both arrested by police in
Lhaviyani Atoll Hinnavaru to 15 days (Aruma, Mother, lover who
victimizes 14-year old remanded 15 days, 2015). There is another case
that was a man sexually violating his own daughter and threatening to kill
if she ever reports or confronts. According to the Journal, A man was
arrested on Friday under suspicions that he had been sexually abusing his
daughter for years, and threatening her with death if she went to the
authorities

(Aruma,

Man

arrested

for

sexually

abusing

daughter,

threatening her with death, 2014).

Moreover, gang rape also has become a common issue in Maldives lately.
Reports in alliance with MPS said Investigations have begun into the case
of a 15 year old girl allegedly raped on Monday by a man belonging to a
gang after intoxicating the girl with alcohol at Seenu atoll Maradhoo (15
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year old girl raped and dumped on the street, 2014). The worst fear of any
Maldivian shall be realized with this fact that Maldivians too engage in
practicing BDSM. It is a disgrace to society that such awful situations are
there in Maldives. This was occurred when a man raped 35 boys. It is said
that He is the sadistic man who sexually abused and raped as many as
over 35 boys. He filmed the abuse and kept it as tokens. It was the
discovery of this horrendous footage during narcotics raid at his
apartment. That helped the police to charge him with 39 counts of child
sexual abuse (Man who raped 35 boys, 2013).
Since child abuse in any form is prohibited universally by law and order, it
is a duty of every single person to completely erase it from their own
society. Maldives is a small country with relatively low population
compared to Europe, America and other Asian countries. Therefore, there
should be no excuse to not prevent each and every child by any form of
child abuse. Authorities, NGOs, MPS and responsible individuals are
conducting various programs to help in preventing child abuse in
Maldives. ARC (Advocating Rights of Children), a child welfare organisation
in Maldives has helplines for victims and conducts campaigns against
child abuse. Child Abuse Prevention Society of Maldives does campaigns
and protests too. HRCM often issues press release against child abuse and
about children rights. MPS does arrest and prosecute culprits but does
doing so ever really helped? If it did, there should be no cases, but there
are still incidents happening.
Campaigns and awareness programs are one fine thing to do, but when
people never reacts favorably, what should authorities do? They cannot
forcefully change anybodys view. Therefore, education on self-defense is
very important and crucial for society of Maldives. Instead of simply
lecturing on child prevention, authorities can organize programs for
children educating and teaching them self-defense skills. Addressing only
on parents and society will never do good, but educating, recommending,
and counseling children about child abuse and things that can be done to
protect them by themselves will help to eliminate the problem. Parents
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must inform their children about predators outside and even in home, how
they will approach them, the signs that an abuser will have although the
label will never be on their forehead, the child should be able to recognize
and identify any harm. It is not a shameful thing to talk about the matters
with their children, but it will only protect them. Parents should be an
ultimate friend for their children, so kids can share anything with them.
There are more and more solutions that can prevent child abuse in
Maldivian society. Since parents should be a good example in manners
and etiquettes, they should praise and encourage or reward for the
bravery if the child opens up with them with the fear. Even if the culprit is
from family, nobody ever should be reluctant and hesitant to report and
punish culprit. Schools must organize awareness programs for children
encouraging them to help themselves in any abusive act. Parents should
learn to recognize the signs of abuse since a fearful child will never open
her/his mouth. Every individual must be the guardian angel for each child,
though they are not relative. Being more careful and protective towards
own child will minimize and eliminate the risk of child being violated by
strangers. Most importantly, parents should never over react and break
down, or let victim feel guilty of revelation of the abuse occurred to the
child.
Among all the solution discussed above, teaching self-defense to children,
encouraging and becoming a friend of them and willing to fight back for
the child at any cost will be best to imply on to prevent child abuse on
Maldives. It is because in almost all the cases reported, the victim never
could protect themselves against the abuser. Therefore, it can be deduced
that if all of those victims ever had known self-defense techniques they
should have somehow protected themselves. This method has been
practiced by Americans and Europeans, even in India, and the result was
wonderful. Unfortunately, the lifestyle of Maldivian hardly allows them to
be the best friend of their own child. This maybe because parents never
could have become a trusted party for their own children or their
behaviour

towards

children

would

have

intimidated

them

further.

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Therefore, both the parents must be a true friend for their children.
Victims of rapes and abuse reported that they never opened up before
because they were threatened and rebuked by culprits and even parents
warned them not to tell anybody because it will bring disrespect to the
family. But as said earlier, if Maldivian stands for justice and prevention of
their own child and fight back, nobody would ever dare to harm the
children of society.
Concluding a critical issue like child abuse is not an easy task for any
author. However, there should be an end to any start. Hence, to conclude
this it would be wise to say that every child is special. Therefore, every
individual has rightful duty of protecting these little jewels against
predators and any harm. It is because the consequences of child abusing
has always left the world and society shaken. The abused victim tends to
be violent in most cases when they grow up. They also learn and believe
since they have suffered others have to suffer. Some of them never could
lead a normal life nor could be a good human being. Girls who were
sexually abused sometimes never could conceive and simply could never
marry of being fearful of touching. Moreover many victims opted to
suicide because they felt they were useless and has no right to live.
Child abuse has become a prominent issue over the years in Maldives.
There are hundreds of cases reported and even in that death has
occurred. It is a shame for every Maldivian since they advocate on
humanity and rights frequently. There are flaws in the authorities of
Maldives. They only seem to be advocating, no real and significant actions
were so far taken. Punishing culprit will not stop the cause, but another
abuser will rise again. While punishing culprit, the authorities need to take
huge steps in never letting any of such incident happen. Children in
Maldivian society should feel and believe they are loved, protected and
confident. Every child must get a helping hand when he/she needs in any
situation. Most importantly there should be no wall of silence around
victims; hence together everybody should put their hand to break the wall
of silence.
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Reflections
While researching on the issue of child abuse, it enlightened me on the
criticism of the issue and the worst and awful things it does to the victim.
It also made me realize that even I might be responsible for that every
victim since I also could have done many things to prevent it from
Maldivian society. I was devastated by the growth of child abuse cases in
Maldives and despise the cruel people highly. I have known that there are
still solutions for the problem and I also can help in a broad manner.

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Bibliography
Man who raped 35 boys. (2013, March 02). Retrieved from Dark Side of Maldives:
http://darksidemaldives.blogspot.com/2013/03/man-who-raped-35boys.html
15 year old girl raped and dumped on the street. (2014, September 04).
Retrieved from Haveeru Online:
http://www.haveeru.com.mv/child_sexual_abuse/56483
Aruma, F. (2014, December 20). Man arrested for sexually abusing daughter,
threatening her with death. Retrieved from Haveeru Online:
http://www.haveeru.com.mv/child_sexual_abuse/58074
Aruma, F. (2015, February 04). Mother, lover who victimizes 14-year old
remanded 15 days. Retrieved from Haveeru Online:
http://www.haveeru.com.mv/child_sexual_abuse/58862
Aruma, F. (2015). Toddler found dead, islanders cry murder. Male': Haveeru
Online.
Pelzer, D. (1995). A Child Called "It". Florida: Deerfield Beach : Health
Communications.
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Stone, C. (2012, January 24). When Hate Becomes Heritage. Retrieved from
www.redwoods.edu:
http://www.redwoods.edu/instruct/jjohnston/english150/readings/samples/
whenhatebecomesheritage.pdf
Win, T. L. (2012). Millions of children abused in East Asia, Pacific - UNICEF.
BangKok: Thomson Reuters Foundation.

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