Bangladesh is set to recruit 6,000 new social workers for enhancing the efficient delivery of child protection services at the community level. With this new addition, the number of social workers will see a jump of 200 per cent, as it will bring the workforce to 9,000, from the existing 3,000 social workers.
Over the last several years Bangladesh has made significant strides in the fields of health, nutrition, safe water and sanitation, education and child protection but when it comes to violence against children, it offers a somewhat gloomy picture. A growing number of heinous crimes not only reveal our sheer negligence to address a savage practice but also indicate our failure to protect our children from the evils of our society. It is startling to note that currently, 45 million Bangladeshi children under the age of 15, or a shocking 89 per cent, are subjected to violence at home
We need to raise public awareness
on recognising and preventing all
forms of child abuse
When the implementation of law is inadequate, perpetrators remain unaffected, especially when the authorities concerned respond in a way that does not protect the underprivileged victims. Stricter laws and more vigorous enforcement might help, but they are not enough. It is time for the government to adopt tough legal measures to prosecute child abusers so that we are able to protect our future generations. Also, we must adopt a zero-tolerance policy for violence against children.
We need to raise public awareness on recognising and preventing all forms of child abuse. It is sad but true that we find a plethora of news regarding child killing, child rape, child labour and child torture which are published and broadcast in different print and electronic media but we hardly find any programme or show which are made to create consciousness among mass people on child abuse. In this regard, social institutions like schools, mosques, offices, universities etc. should put forth their concerted efforts to create consciousness among people against child abuse.
Media can play a significant role in order to hinder child abuse because media have the power to develop an opinion among its viewers alongside constructing behaviour and psychology of interpretation. Last but not least, we need more government fund and its honest utilisation for the development of the street children who are usually being abused over their entire life.