The rising costs of living has affected our budgets and lifestyles, but experts suggest that the high costs of living may also be a factor contributing to child abuse cases in Malaysia. Yesterday, The Star published two child abuse cases on their front page.
It is reported that more cases of child abuse were brought to the attention of public hospitals for medical evaluation over the past years, and with the rising costs of living, parents are bound to feel the pinch, which may result to acts of violence towards their children.
According to The Star:
The Malaysian Mental Health Association says the increased frustration of urban living, work pressure, monetary issues, loss of the cushioning effect of the extended family, could all lead to the mounting anger sensed these days.
Deputy president of the association, Datuk Dr Andrew Mohanraj Chandrasekaran says that the pressure and anger can lead to aggression, which can easily be displaced towards loved ones.
The rising cost of living and high expectations of urban living often see both parents working.
The nuclear family system is the norm with extended families, a thing of the past.
This also means greater frustrations experienced by both parents who are working especially with increasing cost of living and living beyond one’s means, leading to financial ruin.
Dr Andrew advises that parents should be role models when it comes to being prudent with money, and that the entire family should live within their means. “There is no need to buy a 10-year-old a smartphone with Internet access just to keep up with the neighbours or to keep the child quiet,” he says.
He added that teachers should also be taught to detect tell-tale signs of child abuse among students. He also says that punitive measures should be increased against parents, not only for child abuse, but also for neglecting their children.
In yesterday’s headlines, 44-year-old Abdul Aziz Abdullah, was sentenced to hang for killing his 12-year-old adopted daughter. It is reported that he had only fed the deceased and her siblings once a day. She died when he kicked her in the back and abdomen, before throwing her onto the floor.
Prof Dr Mohamad Hussain Habil, past president of the Asean Federation for Psychiatry and Mental Health says that marriage and financial struggles can easily trigger the abusive side of a person.
He says it is likely that the perpetrators of child abuse were victims themselves, and may also struggle with some form of mental illness or personality disorder.
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