Villager
11-30-01, 06:19PM
This is an article I wrote for another site and I thought it worthy as an issue for debate.
- In the UK at least one child dies every week as a result of an adult's cruelty.
- A quarter of UK rape victims are children.
- More than 35,000 children are on protection registers because they are at risk of abuse from their parents of carers.
That is just three facts. Reading those three facts, how does it feel to think that we call ourselves a civilised society?
I wouldn't normally assume the moral highground on an issue, but that is slightly hard to avoid here. Let not the fact that the above statistics are with regards to only the UK, the issues and fundamental problems are not only global, they are proven to be far more prominent in many other countries, especially the poorer ones. If we take the UK for example, though, along with those harrowing statistics, it seems nothing short of pathetic that we function as a society that is modern, fair, morally and socially proud. Yet below the seemingly fine gloss of daily, public life, is this heinous, despicable beast eating away at the core of society, undermining any progress we may seek to make as a collective culture.
Very little makes me truly offended, repulsed, nor sickened, but child abuse does all three and more. When you consider the sheer scale on which it exists, though, you cannot help but think of the world in which you live a little differently. Think of the occasional cases so extensively purported in the press, the case of Sarah Payne being a particularly shocking example. It seems horrifying enough that such a thing could happen in your neighbourhood, let alone when you consider the numbers that are really involved.
It is more as a principle than an addition that I ask, nay, implore you all to do something. Something big, something small. Something. You can start by visiting here (http://www.nspcc.org.uk/homepage/) and here (http://www.nspcc.org.uk/pledge/). Those of you who can help financially, do so. What could be more deserving of your spare pennies? I personally will be spending time with a local public awareness group, which requires little more than time and will. I'm sure each and every single one of you can do something to help. Is it not worth your time/resources?
It's all very well to say it's really cruel and needs to stop, but nothing will change if people, i.e. you and I, don't act.
- In the UK at least one child dies every week as a result of an adult's cruelty.
- A quarter of UK rape victims are children.
- More than 35,000 children are on protection registers because they are at risk of abuse from their parents of carers.
That is just three facts. Reading those three facts, how does it feel to think that we call ourselves a civilised society?
I wouldn't normally assume the moral highground on an issue, but that is slightly hard to avoid here. Let not the fact that the above statistics are with regards to only the UK, the issues and fundamental problems are not only global, they are proven to be far more prominent in many other countries, especially the poorer ones. If we take the UK for example, though, along with those harrowing statistics, it seems nothing short of pathetic that we function as a society that is modern, fair, morally and socially proud. Yet below the seemingly fine gloss of daily, public life, is this heinous, despicable beast eating away at the core of society, undermining any progress we may seek to make as a collective culture.
Very little makes me truly offended, repulsed, nor sickened, but child abuse does all three and more. When you consider the sheer scale on which it exists, though, you cannot help but think of the world in which you live a little differently. Think of the occasional cases so extensively purported in the press, the case of Sarah Payne being a particularly shocking example. It seems horrifying enough that such a thing could happen in your neighbourhood, let alone when you consider the numbers that are really involved.
It is more as a principle than an addition that I ask, nay, implore you all to do something. Something big, something small. Something. You can start by visiting here (http://www.nspcc.org.uk/homepage/) and here (http://www.nspcc.org.uk/pledge/). Those of you who can help financially, do so. What could be more deserving of your spare pennies? I personally will be spending time with a local public awareness group, which requires little more than time and will. I'm sure each and every single one of you can do something to help. Is it not worth your time/resources?
It's all very well to say it's really cruel and needs to stop, but nothing will change if people, i.e. you and I, don't act.