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Children often sexually abused by close relatives-statistics
– Cases under reported to law enforcement officials
By Rabindra Rooplall
Although the consequences of child abuse are overwhelmingly disturbing-and for last year there were 3,377 recorded incidences of child abuse cases locally-every year worldwide, millions of children across the world are becoming innocent helpless targets of atrocities, statistics have revealed.
According to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), children are entitled to grow up in an environment that ensures they are protected.
UNICEF further states that although the agony and the plight of these children remain suppressed in silence, the brunt of their exploitation is very real, although the whole world is morally fuming at the abuse children endure.
The organisation explained that protection laws against child abuse commonly meet with confrontation at all strata of society.
“The reason behind this is simple. Most forms of child abuse take place in private and are linked with crime and corruption. It is simply observed as ‘secretly endured and openly denied.’ 
Experts note that while violence and abuse pose a threat to children’s lives, it also offers more devastating adverse effects on their mental and physical health. Often it leads to homelessness, resulting in increased number of cases of vagrancy, giving birth to a feeling of depression.
‘To worsen the scenario, these victims are more likely to abuse their own children in future, thanks to the deep impact on their mind! And the cycle will continue forever!’
However, the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security advocates that all children are entitled to protection – as laid out in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, while it is the duty of families, communities and individuals to respect those rights.
In addition, children and adolescents themselves can play an active role in their own protection and as advocates for the protection of others.
The International Labour Organization (ILO) states- although it is hard to enumerate- around one million children including significant number of boys are exploited every year in the multibillion-dollar flesh trade. Commercial sexual abuse of children is often initiated and encouraged by local elements. Statistically, sexual tourism plays very minor role, contrary to the earlier perception. However, the internet is emerging as the potential stimulator to promote child pornography globally and this has become a cause of concern. Studies have revealed that children are most often sexually abused by their close relatives.
Most children are abused by someone they know and trust, although boys are more likely than girls to be abused outside of the family.
Reports further reveal that sexual abuse often occurs in successive generations of the same family.
In 82 percent of accusations recently studied, the accused offender was a heterosexual partner of a close relative of the child. Researchers estimate that between 96 to 100 percent of accused abusers are recognizably heterosexual. Another study found that almost half of offending fathers and stepfathers also abused children outside their family.
Children are most vulnerable between age eight to 12. The average age for first abuse is 9.9 years for boys and 9.6 years for girls. Victimization occurs before age eight in over 20 percent of the cases. Another study found 24 percent of female child sexual abuse survivors were first abused at age five or younger.
Estimates of child sexual abuse rates vary for many reasons. Less than 10 percent of abuse cases are reported to the police.
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