Don’t fail our children

Sri Lanka is failing her children. From physical abuse to sexual exploitation to malnutrition to lack of access to education, the statistics reveal an ugly side that many in the country would like to live in denial about but one that won’t go away unless adults take the safety, security and wellbeing of children seriously.

Of the country’s population of around 22 million, over 23% are children between the ages of 1-14. The country’s school growing population is around 4.2 million roughly 18 % of the population. This is a segment of the population that remains vulnerable, not only due to the abuses they suffer, but because they have been dealt the worst blow by the country’s economic woes. 

Last year the National Child Protection Authority (NCPA) recorded 10,497 cases of various types of abuse of children with cruelty, negligence and sexual harassment among the cases recorded. The media monitoring team of the Protecting Environment and Children Everywhere (PEaCE)/End Child Prostitution in Asian Tourism (ECPAT) Sri Lanka recorded 45 child abuse incidents reported in January 2023, of which 15 were sexual abuse. 14 of the children who faced abused had died, three by suicide.

Cases of child abuse saw a hike during the COVID-19 related lockdowns and with the economic crisis in full swing, children are once again the worst affected even though little is heard of their side of the story. Extended school closures and on-line classes led to new forms of abuse of children with a startling increase in on-line child pornography.

What is evident going by the statistics is that what we see is only the tip of an iceberg. Given the level of vulnerability especially of younger children, it is likely that most causes of abuse of children go unreported.

The economic woes that adults are grappling with have hit children the hardest with many being deprived of their rights to basic health care and education. Children from low income families are facing a daily struggle of getting a balanced meal with their health suffering as the country sees an increase in malnutrition among kids. Uniforms, shoes, school books are luxuries that many children no longer have access to.

The NCPA statistics showed that there were 249 cases of children being procured to beg and this trend is likely to increase in the face of the economic downturn. It’s a common sight to see children being used by unscrupulous adults as a tool for begging.

It is on top of these challenges that children are being subject to abuse and cruelty with perpetrators in many reported cases being family members or close relatives.

State intervention in the country for the protection of children is grossly inadequate. While the Police Department has a Women and Children’s Bureau, it does not seem to have the reach or the resources to deal with the number of cases that get reported on a daily basis. The status of State-run homes for abused children leave much to be desired, are underfunded while counselling for the young victims of abuse is negligible.

The cry for help of a child rarely gets heard amidst the cacophony caused by adults who are stronger, louder and aggressive.  But it is time to listen to the voice of the children of this country and ensure that their wellbeing, safety and security is prioritised because a country that fails its children fails as a nation.