Children's Rights
The story of Pharady, a young laborer.
and why they should matter to you
Pharady is just one of the millions of children who experience violations of their rights every day.
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Each one of them deserves to have the opportunities to grow and develop as adults. Whether they are being abused (physically, sexually, emotionally), forced to labor and support their families, or not having access to education, these issues have major effects on the children. More often than not these effects are long term and seriously detrimental to their quality of life, and if not acknowledged or resolved, can not only continue to hurt the victim themselves but those around them as well.
Victims of right's violation mean more than just abuse and physical harm- it includes other forms of maltreatment, neglect, and lack of opportunity that can have lasting psychological and economic impacts as adults. They are more likely to develop things like PTSD or ADHD, depression, anxiety, and even just be more pessimistic in general. Almost 76% of adults who reported having been abused as a child were found to have at least one psychiatric disorder, and 50% were diagnosed with 3 or more. Forming or maintaining relationships may be more difficult, as ideas of love and support may have been marred and trust is difficult to practice. Physical health can actually be affected as well, as some developed disorders cause hormonal imbalances, doctor visits might become more frequent, and there is an increased likelihood of hospitalization and illness.
In the case of child labor, kids like Pharady's social development is at risk. Spending hours a day working as a child or teenager increases the chances of drug abuse and aggression, and without practice making/keeping relationships, they can develop into insecure adults. Isolation and depression can prevail, preventing healthy emotional development and adults unable to fulfill their full potential. Aspects such as being illness prone, strenuous work and exposure to chemicals that stunt growth, and malnutrition are just some of the physical consequences of child labor.
continue to learn more about what is happening and what is being done.
In these situations, the victims are often lacking power, so it is the communities responsibility to step up, possibly intervene, and get assistance for the child. When a community can recognize the lasting psychological and socioeconomic impacts childhood violation of rights has on a victim, support and help can become available and improve quality of life to all that live there.