Violence Leaves Life-Lasting Implications on Children

Shazia Mehboob

Islamabad: One-and-a-half-year-old Irfan, sitting in his mother’s lap at a private shelter home, is continually trying to divert his mother’s attention as tears are rolling down her cheeks while she explains her suffering at the hands of her husband. Naheed, a 19-year-old survivor of domestic violence (DV) in Rawalpindi, was explaining her two-year-long journey of domestic violence and abuse.

The body is too young to comprehend the complexities of the situation and the implications the duo will face for the rest of their lives. However, his strange reaction during the interview with his mother conveyed that he becomes annoyed and concerned when he sees his mother cry.

The child is currently living with his mother at a shelter home in Islamabad, as his father not only brutally tortured his mother but also divorced her, forcing them to live in a shelter home. The young kid has been an observer of domestic abuse since his birth, as his father, who is said to be involved in criminal activities, used to beat Naheed.

It is the third month since the domestic violence (DV) survivor was brought into this shelter home, and young Irfan has established good affection with other inmate children. But this time, the kid is neither ready to play with toys nor with other kids in his surroundings.

“He usually enjoys playing with his age-mate, and it rarely happens when Irfan demands my special attention at home; but for the past few days, he has started behaving strangely,” said Naheed. Recalling the bitterness of her married life, the DV survivor said her husband started beating her just two weeks after their marriage, and after that, it had become a routine affair at their home. He didn’t spare beating her, even during her pregnancy. It was a special blessing from the Almighty that she could survive her pregnancy.

Naheed told The PenPK.com that he once pushed her downstairs while she was pregnant. The violence didn’t end even after the birth of their child. She was severely beaten just two weeks after giving birth, which opened stitches and caused months of complications.

Irfan is too young to understand the bitterness of his parent’s life; however, health experts believe that a child gets affected by the environment in which he or she gets brought up, and it leaves lifelong implications on a child’s personality.

Multan-based Consultant Psychologist Shaista Nisar says, “Children who have been victims of violence or have witnessed violence at home or in their surroundings are at serious risk for long-term physical and mental health problems.”

The consultant psychologist says violence of any kind leaves multi-dimensional impacts on a child’s personality, adding that violence or abuse damages a child’s mental as well as their physical health.  “Such children have bad anger management skills, low self-esteem and a low confidence level. Survivors of such abuse are at greater risk of getting themselves involved in criminal activities and other social ills. The children’s relationship with society is also affected by the experience of domestic violence,” Shaista Nisar stated.

“Whenever a case of a child’s mental health comes to the hospital, my main focus remains on studying the environment in which the child has been brought up,” mentioned Psychologist Shaista. She opined that the first seven years are crucial for the development of a child’s personality. The violence and abuse not only affect a child in the early seven years but the environment where a woman lives during pregnancy also affects the child’s mental health.

Irfan is not the only child in this country. There are tens of thousands of young lives exposed to various kinds of abuse, and their traumas lead them later in their lives toward violence, leaving broader implications for society as well as the state.

When asked about the background history of offenders of such types of violence, Former Senior Superintendent of Police (Investigation) Rawalpindi Division Syed Ghazanfar Ali Shah stated that the vast majority of such offenders themselves had been through such traumas. “The children who witnessed violence between parents may also be at greater risk of being violent in their future relationships. If you are a parent who is experiencing abuse, it can be difficult to know how to protect your child,” the former SSP added.

According to Fauji Foundation Hospital Rawalpindi Psychologist Sajida Kazmi,“Young children who experience spouse violence may start doing weird things when they are young, such as thumb-sucking, increased crying and whining.” He told that such children may also develop difficulty falling or staying asleep; show signs of terror, such as stuttering or hiding; and show signs of severe separation anxiety. Irfan has yet to start life, which would not be easy in the circumstances that his mother is going through.

 Rutgers University US Assistant Professor of PsychiatryDr Muhammad Zeeshansaid that there are various kinds of stressors that every child goes through, which include conflicts at home, “Experiencing violence, abuse or neglect as well as witnessing domestic violence at home or violence in the community along with home environment instability due to parental divorce or jail or prison confinement are all adverse childhood experiences,” stated Dr M Zeeshan,

“There is significant research that shows that bad experiences during early childhood are linked to chronic health problems. Not only mental illness but a variety of medical issues as well,” mentioned the Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, adding that traumatic experiences have a negative impact on children’s mind and their academic performance. “Even worse is that the impact on children is not curable.”

There is a research study in the US called ‘Adverse Childhood Experiences, which has shown that people who have had four or more of these childhood experiences, or who have a history of being abused physically, emotionally or sexually, or who have experienced emotional neglect, or have a family history of using substance, are three times more likely to develop lung disease or smoking, Dr Zeeshan explained.

He added that the kids who have experienced the aforementioned events are 14 times more likely to attempt suicide, 4.5 times more likely to develop depression, 11 times more likely to engage in drug abuse later in adulthood or as adolescents, and two times more likely to suffer from liver diseases.

“I strongly believe that adverse childhood experiences are one of the greatest unaddressed public health threats facing not only Pakistan but the entire world. These experiences include the risks of injuries, sexually transmitted infections, pregnancy and pregnancy-related problems, infant mortality, and lot of other medical diseases like diabetes, cancers and heart problem, as well as suicide and depression,” Assistant Professor opined.

As many as 4,503 cases of child abuse and 3,088 cases of rape of women reported in Punjab in the first 10 months of this year, according to a report launched by the Sustainable Social Development Organization (SSDO) on “Violence against Women and Children in Punjab”.

The report contains data obtained from the Punjab police between January and October 2022. Looking at both violence against women and children, Lahore and Faisalabad led with the highest number of cases, while in the case of rape, Sargodha, Multan and Sheikhupura were the next hotspots.

Out of the total, 27 per cent of the cases of child abuse were reported from Lahore alone, which meant that over one in four cases occurred in only one of the 36 districts. On the other end, Jhelum, Chakwal, Mianwali, Narrowal, and Khushab were among those with the lowest prevalence of violence against women and children.

SSDO Executive Director Syed Kausar Abbas said, “The purpose of consolidating this data is to present the current situation of violence against women and children at the district level in Punjab. Moreover, we want to provide reference to relevant policymakers and stakeholders so they can take initiatives to reduce violence against them through policy-making and the implementation of relevant laws by identifying hotspot districts of crime.”

“We hope that this can lead to a comprehensive approach to working towards eliminating gender-based violence by bringing on board all relevant stakeholders.” Punjab Women Protection Authority Chairperson Rafia Kamal urged the students at the event to actively report cases of violence against women and children to the police so that swift action can be taken.

Rafia Kamal also stressed the fact that there is a dearth of accurate statistics regarding gender-based violence and that academia can play a major role in conducting research that will be a great source of information for all relevant stakeholders. She also stated that the media needs to ensure that they show positive portrayals of women on screen.