Peshawar [Pakistan], August 7 : Twelve children are sexually abused every day, according to speakers who raised the issue during a training session on child abuse prevention in Pakistan on Sunday. The session was organised by the German nonprofit Friedrich Naumann Foundation (FNF), Dawn reported.
In addition, the speakers brought forth a statement from FNF Pakistan that stated 4,253 child abuse incidents were registered in 2022, a 30 per cent rise from 2021.
The session was informed that the state was responsible for promoting and protecting children's rights by teachers, social workers, attorneys, students, journalists, and representatives from several pertinent agencies.
According to FNF Pakistan's leader of the programme, Mohammad Anwar, signs of sexual abuse include terrifying behaviours including nightmares, sadness, abnormal fear, efforts to flee, and the emergence of sexual behaviour that is incredibly inappropriate for the child's age, reported Dawn.
He made the observation that 50 per cent of child abuse victims knew their abusers, who could belong to any class, caste, religion, or ethnicity. He noted that the perpetrator could be a male, woman, child, relative of the victim, or a total stranger.
Imran Takar, a child rights specialist, also gave the attendees a briefing on the various facets of child abuse.
According to him, psychological disorders caused by child maltreatment frequently result in victims having anxiety and mental health problems as adults.
Senior journalist Shamim Shahid addressed the attendees of the occasion's core causes of the children's concerns, including the nation's political instability and unchecked population growth, Dawn reported.
He said that although there were laws in existence to support and preserve human rights, they could not be put into practice. He claimed that all parties involved must immediately cooperate in order to resolve the problem.
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