Child abuse has long been a taboo subject in the Middle East. But, as a seminar in Abu Dhabi this week heard, things have changed in the past decade. There is a growing realisation that it can no longer be regarded as an issue that has to be dealt with – or, as is sadly sometimes the case, not dealt with – within the family context. The abuse of any child is a matter of concern for society as a whole. But the way in which society, the authorities and the media deal with cases of abuse – especially when it comes to the identities of the abused and the abuser – needs to be properly addressed.
As The National has noted before, there must be a focus on prevention, and that includes knowing which children are at risk. This requires cooperation among professionals such as teachers, doctors and public-health workers, the police and judicial system, and government policymakers. The media has a role to play as well by reporting child-abuse cases, ensuring greater awareness of what constitutes abuse and what the penalties are, and, crucially, what can be done to stop it. As Dr Hani Jahshan told the seminar, titled "Media is a Child's Friend", it was journalists' investigations into child abuse and neglect in Jordan that exposed gaps in the system.
For any system to work, the data must be available and easy to share among authorities, both between jurisdictions within the emirates and across the world. So, for example, a person who is a known offender in one country cannot move to the UAE with an apparently clean slate. Of course, the sensitive nature of the offence of child abuse means that any database must be properly encrypted and the details available only on a need-to-know basis. The identities of victims must be protected at all costs. While the media has a duty to report the incidence of child abuse, there is no need to delve into the lurid details.
Every child is entitled to protection, both from abuse and from the potential misuse of data relating to that offence.
