EDITOR: There are many adults today who have excelled and are living decent lives, while some are still struggling with self worth and other various psychological problems. But many of us don’t know what they encountered growing up. Child abuse of various kinds is not anything new, only that with the increase in technology is now more known and people are now aware of these abuses more than previously.

Abuse of many kinds such as physical, verbal, sexual and even emotional can have a lifetime effect on the child. Some fortunately are able to overcome that childhood abuse and move on, while there are some who are unable to do so.

Child abuse is a crime that should be given stiff penalty, and no parent should brush it aside when a child complains about an abuse. I know we are living in hard economic times and sometimes mothers in particular brush aside the complaint of abuse by the child due to economic conditions. Having said that we know that many parents are also guilty of verbally and physically abusing their child or children.

Sometimes it is done due to frustration, and in some cases, where a mother may have several children but the father who is providing more for his child, that child seems to be the favourite of the mother and in some cases the other children are not so well treated. There are also cases where the mother takes it out on the child because daddy has neglected his responsibility of taking care of his child.

But when you think of children being molested sexually by adults, that is a different ball game. How can a man sexually molest a child who is under the age of 15? More so in some cases, that child both boy and girl are children of the molester. What heart does the molester have? I guess that person is under the influence of an evil spirit.

The sad thing though is that these children may grow up with negative feelings about themselves. Some turn out to be gangsters, rapist, abusers, prostitutes and even killers. The list can go on. Suffice it to say that when children are abused it can have a lifelong negative effect upon that child.

It is my prayer that this demon of abuse be defeated and that we would as a nation allow the spirit of God to take control of our lives. For those who are victims of abuse of whatever kind, there is hope in the fact that the Lord can help and give you the power to rise above the negative effects and the challenges faced as a result of the abuse.

We need as a nation to turn our hearts Heaven-ward and build a stronger nation and family.

Kennard King