India is celebrating its 73rd Republic Day soon, and still, our society is still battling with many evils that should and must have been eradicated a long time ago. One of such social issues that we need to be concerned about is child abuse. Millions of children in India were and are victims of child abuse. It is a national tragedy that also claims hundreds of thousands of lives and impacts millions of families each year.
The Definition
The World Health Organization (WHO) defines child maltreatment or child abuse as all types of physical and/or emotional ill-treatment. It includes sexual abuse, negligence, neglect, and commercial or other exploitation that might result in actual or potential harm to the child’s health, development, survival, or dignity in the context of a relationship.
What is Child Abuse Prevention?
The prevention of child abuse includes all activities that are aimed at stopping child exploit or maltreatment from happening so that innocent children can be spared. If child abuse exploit already occurred, steps can be taken to reduce physical and emotional trauma and ensure that the child gets the right treatment.
Signs of Physical Abuse
Here is a list of signs of physical abuse exhibited by most physical abuse victims:
- A child has unexplained injuries.
- A child is terrified of their parents and cries when asked to go home.
- A child has reported an injury to an adult.
- A child has fading bruises or other noticeable marks.
- A child seems depressed, withdrawn, scared, anxious, or aggressive for no reason.
- A child shrinks when an adult approaches them.
- A child’s sleep or eating habits have changed drastically.
- A child abuses pets or other animals.
How to Help the Victims of Child Abuse- Trust The Pushpa Narendra Foundation If you want to help the victims of child abuse or neglect, you can join The Pushpa Narendra Foundation’s child and youth welfare efforts. You can contribute financially or volunteer with your time. It’s completely your choice. We want to help children and youth from the lower levels of society to rise up and do something good with their lives. A major chunk of that involves helping them overcome past trauma and getting the help they need. Interested? Contact us now to know more.