JEDDAH: An audience of 500 women groaned when a lecturer said that the number of child abuse cases in the country has tripled in the past three years.
Inam Rabui, head of Himaya Association, a charitable institution that protects women and children from abuse, shared tragic child abuse stories, pictures and videos yesterday at Dar Al-Hekma College.
Rabui was the first of four presenters who shared their knowledge with kindergarten educators and university students during the second educational forum, entitled “Al-Tifl Amana” (“The Child is in Your Trust”).
During the first year, Himaya received 80 child abuse complaints. Half-way through the second year the cases had doubled to 163 cases.
“The number tripled to 281 cases in the third year, let alone unreported cases. Out of the 524 child abuse cases, sadly 284 children had been abused by their fathers,” said Rabui. She said that there are four types of abuse: physical, sexual, emotional and negligence.
Rabui cautioned teachers on verbal abuse and told them they should avoid undermining students by calling them stupid or telling them they would never understand the lessons.
She advised mothers and educators to be friends with their children. She said never scold a child for wrongdoing.
“Instead, provide support and advice. Listen to your child to earn his trust. He then will share everything with you,” said Fadiya Anani, a Himaya board member. “Do you know that a lot of our everyday behavior with our kids can be easily defined as child abuse?” she asked the audience.
Rabui recommended that teachers look for symptoms of sexual abuse, such as involuntary urination, difficulty walking or sitting, recurrent pain in the stomach or sexual organs and deterioration of academic performance.
Rabui also said parents usually have different reactions to child abuse, especially when confronted. “Don’t lose hope. Crisis intervention therapy can be used to provide support for the parents,” she said.
Anani began her presentation saying that Saudi society is built on “glorifying a taboo culture” that forces people to withhold their feelings and address sensitive subjects publicly.
Sexually abused children up to the age of 5 can end up suffering with “premature sexual awareness.” If not spotted and treated children become prematurely sexualized, which can lead to self-destructive behaviors, including promiscuity. In most cases, sexual abusers know, or are close to, their victims — prime suspects in sexual abuse can be relatives, domestic servants, friends or close neighbors. As children grow older, they can be exposed to more predators.
“Children older than five years are exposed to a wider and more dangerous circle of abusers,” said Anani.
Ways in which the child can be protected from abuse include boosting the child’s self-confidence, reinforcing a positive parent-child relationship and constant observation, advised Anani.
Toward the end of her lecture, Anani asked the audience to think carefully. “Are we brave, serious and responsible enough to stand up against child abuse?”
Samira Al-Ghamdi, head of the media committee at Himaya, shed light on the dangerous impact of television on children aged 3-6. She said TV and video games attract this age group more than anything else.
“Children spend endless hours in front of the TV. The low standards of Arabic media and programs impact them negatively. Abusing a child isn’t limited to sexual abuse,” said Al-Ghamdi.
She referred to Turkish soap operas being shown at peak hours on TV that are not suitable for children. She also pointed out to music videos with sexual themes and some cartoon movies.
“It’s our responsibility to educate society and protect our children,” she said.
