A LACKADAISICAL attitude towards child abuse as well as a tendency to disbelieve victims are some of the main reasons why abuse against children is still prevalent in Malaysia, said activists.

Yayasan Chow Kit co-founder Dr Hartini Zainudin told The Malaysian Insight many cases go unreported.

There are no clear and easy reporting mechanisms for children while referrals after an initial report also take ages to follow up as Social Welfare Department (JKM) officers are usually overwhelmed with work.

“Many cases are deemed family issues and children are sent home if the abuser is a family member.

“Private unregistered homes will not report child abuse and institutions and schools don’t even have child protection policies that are understood by the children.

“Children have no clue what abuse is, what their rights are or who they should turn to,” Hartini said.

According to the Suriana Welfare Society, one in 10 children suffered some sort of abuse during the pandemic.

Selangor, from January to September last year, saw nearly 1,100 child abuse cases.

State Public Health, Unity, and Women and Family Development Committee chairman Dr Siti Mariah Mahmud said Selangor police statistics showed the number included cases of physical abuse (527), emotional abuse (35), and sexual abuse or harassment (514), without specifying cases involving paedophiles

Hartini said there should be no corporal punishment and even “hitting gently” is an oxymoron. Abuse can also come in verbal and emotional forms, and through neglect, and abandonment.

She said the issue is also prevalent because it is on the child to prove that abuse occurred.

“The Asian attitude of minding one’s business is also an issue as it prevents those who witness abuse from coming forward. Our child protection reporting system is tedious, unwelcoming, not easy. It’s time consuming,” Hartini said.

“Those who report are reluctant to step forward. There’s no anonymity when reporting.

“The abuser is often told who reported the case and the child is asked to forgive, forget, pull back the report if it is deemed mild abuse , especially if it’s a family member.”

She said the government should pass the Social Workers Act and activate more alternative child protectors.

“The government should make it mandatory that every home or centre involved with children have child protection policies and safeguards in place.

“We should also have more child-friendly authorities in police departments and all hospitals should have SCAN (suspected cases of neglect and abuse) teams to track abuse if kids come to hospitals with signs of abuse as well as ensure that unregistered homes are compliant,” Hartini said, adding that religious, cultural centres and schools should have mandatory training and are held accountable.

Child psychologist Katyana Azman said for a neurotypical child who experiences abuse, the result may include trust issues, poor self-esteem, self-blame, and trauma.

She said abused kids often ask why it is happening to them and not understand why it is occurring at all.

For special needs children, she said, they would develop an almost backward understanding of why something has taken place.

Citing the case of Bella, a 13-year-old girl with Down Syndrome who was allegedly abused by her guardian, Katyana said a person like Bella would struggle to trust and understand what could keep them safe.

“It is a very difficult concept for a child who has special needs to understand and so the things that I would potentially be concerned about are their concept of self-blame, or their concept of finding it very difficult to trust and think that this is going to happen with every single person that they that rely on,” Katyana said.

Kids in Malaysia are protected by The Child Act 2001 (Act 611) for the protection, care, and rehabilitation of children.

However, societal norms that tend to see the child as overreacting or putting the burden of proof on the child make it difficult for children to be protected under the law, the activists said.

Orphan Care CEO Che Asmah Ibrahim said the community needs to be more vigilant and less sceptical of a child claiming to have experienced abuse.

“Whatever the child reports, I think we must listen to them. Because first, we know that the child will not lie. By nature, the child will not lie, so you have to listen carefully to them and try to help them if they are in such circumstances,” she said.

“Similarly, when you talk about sexual abuse, sometimes parents tend to brush it off when the child highlights a situation where a person may have touched them inappropriately.

“This is where communities have got to be more aware. And if you see children in school who have got injuries on their body, you have the right to suspect there is some kind of abuse.

“You do not know what kind of life the child is going through. So I will say that the community has still got a big role to play. Don’t disregard symptoms that the child has.” – April 26, 2022.