Kerala’s indices relating to quality of life had made the world peep into its social setup and mentality. However the recent reports on the emotional and physical safety of the youngsters of this state will make it bow its head in shame.  

An unpublished report of the state welfare department, based on the study conducted across the state in November 2005, shows that around 30% of the children of the state are abused in one kind or other. Approximately 18% of them were sexually abused. The study conducted with the involvement of integrated child development scheme (ICDS) supervisors, covered around 1.10 lakh children spread over 152 rural and 11 urban ICDS projects. 48.5% of them were boys and 51.5% girls. The study focused on four types of abuses, namely physical, emotional, sexual, and commercial abuses besides social maltreatment, neglect and harassment. 

As a state, Kerala has the best education system at the school and college eleve in terms of universal acceptability and accessibility. The keralites believe in the Philosophy of ‘Education is the best investment’. Parents are engaged in child crafting as one social scientist put it.  However, with evolving cutthroat competition among the schools and colleges, education has become real business and students their marketing executives. This makes it a must for the child to maintain the high standard in the interested subject as well as the subjects in which he / she has no interest at all to make sure his honor and self respect is not abused by the parents and the teachers. 

The children are expected to run untiringly like a machine than a human being with no ups and downs, no emotions, no sentiments, and no excitements or depression. A boy of class x from the state (name doesn’t matter) was once a happy boy flowing with spirit and form helping his teachers at the school events in music and dance choreography, taking lessons in carnatic vocal music and acting in Dramas and skits.  

Gradually his concentration was distracted from primary aim ‘studies’ but the teacher and school officials not only refused to have a friendly talk with boy and help him detect and solve his problem but also verbally abused him and asked him to keep out of the class since the board exams were fast approaching and they need the best result. His parents were also confused and were afraid of the educational future of the child that they ignored his emotional side. 

The cases of such emotional abuse are often not detected on time and when detected it needs an expert’s care. This type of incident is not at all rare in this state of great educational heritage. The joy of growing up and enjoying the golden years of childhood and adolescents has been replaced by the parental and peer pressure to outperform the competition. But the tiny tots and their caretakers about to step into serious academic life now find themselves in a situation often described as the ‘pressure cooker situation’. 

Another form of abuse, a problem of higher concern is the sexual abuse. In a society which is some were in between the traditional believes and values and the modern lifestyle where sexuality is no more a series issue, this problem is increasing at an alarming rate. The magnitude of this form of abuse is will be clear when you know that 30% of the childrens in the state irrespective of gender differences had to face this form of abuse.  

Unlike emotional abuse, sexual abuse affects them physically and mentally. A 14 year old girl who reached home for the children in difference has lost the consciousness of right and wrong. She has become so insensitive that her answers to sharp questions were cold are frustratingly casual. There was no trace of guilt of what has happened to her in her words. She was repeatedly abused by her peers and elders. Though boys sexually abused are not a rare incident, the cases involving girls are far higher. Pathanamthitta and Trivandrum has reported the highest incidents of such abuses.  

Prevention is the key to tackling such problems of child abuses. The sad aspect of major cases are that parents find enough time to blame the victim but they ignore the emotional side of the children, and many of them try to hide them the incident which closes the door for specialized consultation for the victims.  

A wide range of awareness in the society is needed to see that the children be proud and happy that they were born in the ‘god’s own country’.