Read and be amazed at what children know about the injustice meted out to them by the society.
EXCERPTS:
Henry: Hello, Uche.
Uche: Hi Uncle.
Henry: How are you today?
Uche: Uncle, I am fine Thank you.
Henry: Uche, do you know what child abuse means?
Uche: Yes Uncle, it means to do something bad to children.
Henry: What do you mean by that?
Uche: If you beat children too much and if you give them pure water and other things to sell during school, it is child abuse.
Henry: Who told you these things you are saying?
Uche: My teacher told me.
Henry: Where is your school?
Uche: Carey Primary school.
Henry: So, Uche, do you mean that your daddy and mummy do not flog you?
Uche: (smiles and went inside and brought his fathers cane) Daddy used to flog me when I misbehave but he has not flogged me since.
Henry: So Uche, do you mean that it is not good for children to sell pure water?
Uche: Yes uncle, it is bad because they miss school and cars kill some of them and some others becomes sick and die.
Henry: What of children whose parents don't have money?
Uche: Let the government give them money and flog bad parents and put them in prison.
Henry: Prison?
Uche: Yes prison, and flog them.
Henry: What of children that insult their parents?
Uche: Let their parents flog them.
Henry: What of children who beg on the street for their family to eat for the day?
Uche: Ask my father....
Henry: What do you want the government to do for your father?
Uche: To give my daddy money.
Henry: Have you seen you daddy and mum fight before?
Uche: No, but if I tell my mum "shut up", my dad flogs me.
Henry: Thank you Uche.
Uche: Thank you Uncle.
Child abuse is an ill wind against the child. It is a cruel treatment given to any child at a particular time anywhere, an injustice to the humanity. Child abuse can be caused by many factors both human and natural. They include:
Poor parentage: This is one of the greatest factors that aids poverty.
Unemployment: This factor of mass unemployment and under-employment has exacerbated the plight of many parents in the world especially in Nigeria.
Indolence: This is another factor of poverty that could result in child abuse.
Natural disasters: Like earthquakes, floods, war, famine, drought, fire out breaks, tornadoes, cyclones and others could also enhance poverty and render families homeless and displaced and as a result lead to the abuse of a child.
Possible solutions:
In other to eradicate this murky stable of child abuse from our society, the government, the church, voluntary organisations, social agencies .parents and the society at large have their vital roles to play to help emancipate the child from these forms of slavery, for a better tomorrow.
The government should enact and re-enforce their legislations on the protection of the rights of the child, provide free education for him and organise for the populace enlightenment campaigns and programmes on these and their adverse effects.
The church on the other hand, should emphasize and kick against these ills, not relenting however in practical humanitarian services.
Parents should consider their economic status and avoid rampant procreation. They should also avoid offering their children for exploits under whatever guise.
Finally, the children themselves should be firm in their will power, making effort to resist any form of abuse in their capacity. Shun bad companies and be prayerful always.
Concluding, child abuse of whatever form is detrimental to a child's upbringing. All therefore needs to change an unhealthy attitude towards the child as they rather should help inculcate into the child the sense of values, be it social, cultural, political, economic and spiritual. It is these values that the child needs for a harmonious growth and better development for a better world.
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