When we see the world, we see it our own lens of knowledge and experience. Years of learning right from wrong, good from evil makes us aware of our surroundings. Children, however are different. Their unassuming little eyes are full of awe of the open world. They know no evil, perceive no ill intent. A little kid trusts almost anyone with a smile on their face, as their experience with meeting new individuals is limited and oblivious to any potential threat. These years of growth and development require special care and attention as any mishap tends to affect a kid much more than it would affect an adult.
This is what makes child abuse such a cruel deed. Such an act makes a deep dent in a child’s mental and emotional development. If something of this nature happens during an individual’s formative years, he or she may later suffer from inexplicable mental and personality issues. The incident imprints itself in their head as often they are too confused or scared to tell anyone what happened to them or the adults in the family do not take their words seriously. One thing that makes acts of cruelty a more harrowing experience is that it is often a relative or an acquaintance that holds predatory intent towards the child.
Imagine being trapped in this mental hell as a child with no way out and always living in a fear of when it may happen to you again. They reduce their social activities, sharing emotions with their loved ones and start acting out for trivial reasons. There is a state of helplessness due to lack of control over their own life. There is fear and uncertainity, something that robs a child of his/her childhood. A kid who suffers at the hands of an adult often represses their memory of the incident. These memories never die, instead they are hidden within the memory- resurfacing when a traumatizing or similar incident happens again. All these hardships in later life arise due to just one debased person’s wrongful actions.
This makes it essential to pay close attention to a child’s behavior and monitor their daily activities. Every parent must try their best to understand and integrate themselves into their child’s life so that he/she can trust them enough to tell them if any such thing happens. It is also necessary to understand that more often than not the child is actually suffering or has suffered from physical assault and is not “making it all up”. If parents actually fail to talk through with their child and they notice something wrong, they should consult a therapist to delve into the child’s psyche. It is of utmost importance to give a healthy and happy childhood to children as they shape the face of tomorrow’s society. If a child has undergone any such incident, they should be given professional help to minimize the damage done to their beautiful little minds.
