Saudi: Child abuse: Battling the stigma

JEDDAH - Most middle-class families, mainly expatriates, expose their children to dangers of child abuse. Those who cannot afford round-the-clock domestic help employ cheap labor and common drivers, mostly men from South Asian countries. Houseboys work for a few hours everyday, in contrast to maids who live in their employers’ homes and are available round-the-clock. While hiring part-time houseboys or drivers, the employers do not bother to check the background of these workers and thus expose their children to the lurking danger. Many cases of child abuse go unnoticed as most of the victims fail to report instances of sexual assaults or strange behaviors, largely due to lack of communication between parents and children. Some children have been reported to say there is a social stigma against talking about issues that involve sexual assault. Most of them agree there is a void in the system that makes dealing with the issue difficult or near impossible. This underlines the significance of two fundamental aspects: the stigma barring talking of sexual assaults in the home and the danger of trusting children with unrelated men. “The problem lies in our culture; it is taboo to speak about such intricate matters with our parents.” Full Story>>

Saudi: Child abuse: Battling the stigma http://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/article484206.ece