04 June 2004	Friday	15 Rabi-us-Saani 1425

KARACHI, June 3: Speakers at a seminar on Thursday called for a comprehensive policy on part of parliament to involve different segments of society and contain fast growing trend of aggression and abuse against children.

The seminar titled "Protecting our children against abuse and hostile environment" was organized under the aegis of Pakistan Press Foundation to commemorate the UN-designated Day of Innocent Children Victims of Aggression. Social activists, lawyers, psychiatrists and child rights activists addressed the seminar.

Mentioning that 42 per cent of country's population is below 14 years of age, the speakers observed that instances could be increasingly witnessed regarding their vulnerability to aggression at their very homes, schools and work places. To address the situation, they called for pragmatic approach.

They underscored need for urgent measures for proper training and awareness among the law-enforcement agencies enhancing their capacity to tackle the sensitive issue and ensure protection to the victims of abuse.

Seeking adequate budgetary allocation to materialize the efficient strategies for the protection of children as well as women, it was reminded that the issue was deep rooted and directly linked to poverty alleviation, quality education and social stability.

The head of psychiatry department, Hamdard Medical University, Prof Amin Gadet, stressed on compulsory provision of psychological analysis and counselling of couples intending to tie the nuptial knots and those planning to raise a family.

According to him, emotional stability of parents is often prerequisite for strong personality of a child, as he or she would not only be able to realize abuse but also protect himself or herself against it.

He also referred to instances when a child was not only physically abused in form of corporal punishment at their respective educational institutions but also bear severe emotional brunt due to sarcastic remarks on part of their teachers.

"It is also a form of abuse, if you express love to children in such a way, which they don't like," the psychiatrist said. He said constant fear, discriminating attitude by parents, elders or teachers make a number of children psychic. Due to these forms of child abuse, depression was very common among children, he added.

The psychiatrist further mentioned cases of incest - where children were victimized by aged relatives as the latter suffering from dementia may be passing through phase of inhibition. Servants were also said to be major culprits, he added.

Mr Sirajuddin of the Pakistan Crescent Youth Organization regretted the rampant adhocism which could be witnessed at almost all levels. Adhocism in education system, he said, was casting its negative impact on young boys and girls.

He said that the young generation exposed to such situation for the last two decades, owing to the non-existing quality education, had largely emerged as the major perpetrators of violence in society.

He said that personality of any child was an outcome of hereditary factors as well as his upbringing and education adding the latter could largely affect the genetic factor.

The Lawyers for Human Rights and Legal Aid chairman, Zia Ahmad Awan, said that celebrating this and that day had become a routine and people had confined themselves to lip-service. He stressed that practical work for emancipation of children must be started.

He demanded of the government to allocate funds and human resources in the forthcoming budget for prevention and reduction in incidents of child abuse. Zia Awan said that there were numerous national as well as international laws for prevention of child abuse, but, successive governments had largely failed to implement them.

He was of the view that the present judicial system was insufficient to provide justice to children. He also regretted that special children were not getting their due rights. - APP/PPI