Crimes against children can be both physical and emotional. Abuse or offense committed on a victim who is under the age of 18 can be considered a crime against children.
Every year, thousands of children are becoming victims of kidnapping, attacks, sexual abuse, or in most cases online crimes.
What exactly is Child Molestation?
Child molestation is also called child sexual abuse and comes under the sex crimes against children category in law terms. In this form of abuse, an adult uses a child for his sexual needs which is a crime according to the law.
UNICEF’S Take on Sex Crimes against Children:
UNICEF through its partnerships, advocacy, and programs plays a major role in preventing sexual violence throughout the world.
They work with children directly in helping them to know where to seek help and protection from. They work with parents and teachers as they are the adults who have to identify signs of abuse to make sure children are not getting attacked sexually by people around them.
Sexual Abuse and Exploitation:
With the development of the internet in the world, it became a lot easier for predators to use the internet to produce, exchange, and even direct live videos of children being abused in many ways. Offenders can come in direct contact with children with the help of social networks and chat options in games and apps.
What should be done to stop them?
- First identifying and stopping online abuse before rescuing the young victims is a major step.
- If found any, block the access to child sexual abuse material with the help of cyber security or police.
- Parents have to monitor their children’s activity every few hours mainly if they are spending more time on the internet.
Some of the sex crimes against children include:
- Child pornography
- Sexual activity by a child
- Statutory Rape
- Sex with a minor
- Child molestation
- Indecency with a child
All the above-mentioned crimes are to be immediately brought to the notice of police or any law firm as they may destroy the life of the child involved in those crimes.
Law against Child Abuse:
Child abuse causes trauma with effects on a child that last for a lifetime. Victims in these cases experience post-traumatic stress even after a long time after the abuse. Handling and dealing with law and court can be a troublesome activity for the survivors.
There are many lawyers across various states who can stand up for child sexual abuse victims and it is the adult’s duty to select the correct law firm that can fight for the child’s rights without traumatizing the kid more than he/she suffered.
Conclusion:
Child sexual abuse does not always mean that there should be physical contact, non-contact abuse such as exposure or child pornography are also the cases under sex crimes against children.
There is a survey that shows that 1 girl out of 10 under the age of 20 has been sexually abused. But many children never open up about the violence ever.
