Equality and Child Sexual Abuse

Child sexual abuse  is the most underreported of all crimes.   When it is reported, it is the least acted upon of all crimes.  When it is acted upon it is the least  punished of all crimes.  Child sexual abuse does not recognise region, race,  creed, socio-economic status or gender; it crosses all boundaries to impact  every community and every person on this great planet of ours.  In fact child sexual abuse affects  approximately one in four children in Australia and statistics suggest that 98%  of offenders go about their crimes completely uninhibited. 

These figures are a call to action for all of us to  do whatever we can as individuals to make a difference. 

Ending child sexual abuse depends entirely upon our  collected efforts to keep improving the lives of children.  Our absolute commitment to the safety and  wellbeing of children is the only way to ensure our evolution toward a peaceful  and just existence for all of humanity.

Equality

Our children are the way they are because of our  society, our culture, our economy and ourselves.  Our ability to nurture, respect, love and  protect our children is a reflection of how we manage ourselves.  We see this so clearly refected in the  different cultures around the world.   Where there is cultural break down and social unrest, there is rampant  abuses of children.

We should feel humbled by our children instead of  feeling superior to them.  Sure we have  the benefit of years behind us, but we should value a child’s opinion as of  equal importance to our own. True love must contain equanimity, joy and love. Without  equanimity, love can become selfish and destructive.  Most children in our society are to some  degree misunderstood, discriminated against, manipulated, coerced and punished  as part of their “normal” and “healthy” daily routine.  If we are unable to empathise with children,  how can we hope to save them from the horror that is sexual abuse?

If a child’s opinion was considered to be equal to  any adult’s, it is unlikely that child sexual abuse would be the silent crisis  that it is today.  With equality comes  greater respect.  And with greater  respect comes higher standing within society.   The results of that elevation in society are that children’s opinions,  ways of thinking, values, needs and feelings will be seen as having more value,  in turn, affording a heightened sense of entitlement, including improvements in  the areas of safety and protection. 

Status in society is usually based on a subjective  assessment of the social worth of the group or individual.  So where do children fit into society’s  hierarchy?  And what is the social worth  of children?  

Children are universally considered socially  insignificant and of little value.   Children have always been and are today, the most victimised group in  society.  They are the most vulnerable  and the least able to defend their human rights.    There are more organisations established to  defend the endangered animals of the world than there are people working for  the protection and equality of children. Many of the child advocacy  organisations are predominantly focused on awareness and education as opposed  to action which means there are very few champions fighting for the human  rights of children.

There have been many developments throughout human  history, where an individual or group has fought for equality and freedom, such  as, women, through the feminist movement and the many social, racial and ethnic  uprisings. But the one thing we have neglected to consider in our efforts to  create equality, freedom, peace, justice and environmental harmony is to strive  for the equality, protection and basic human rights of the world’s  children. 

Education of, advocacy for and protection of all  children with whom we share this planet is the only means of achieving a peaceful, sustainable world, where a  democratic, humane and civilised society is paramount.

We must begin by teaching children from the earliest  age to develop respect for self, for other people and humanity. They must come  to value diversity, freedom, equality, determination, justice, empathy and  non-violence and be mindful of global, moral, religious, multi-cultural,  economic and environmental concerns, as well as understand the  interconnectedness of all the people of the world. Only then, can we begin to  rectify the ills that plague our societies, not the least of which is the  sexual abuse of our children.