The issue of rape has become a global epidemic recently. This is due to more cases being reported across the country almost on daily basis. As a matter of fact, the reported cases are just a fraction of the silent and unreported cases. This menacing societal problem could be attributed to social, economic, developmental and spiritual aberration in our communities.
The erosion of the family system and the menace of broken homes have left the children helpless, hapless and therefore hopeless without parental care, support and guidance. These children grow to become undesirable youths, social miscreants and constitute nuisance to the society.
- 3 girls raped by hoodlums during EndSARS protest in Ekiti
- 143 cases of rape, others reported during COVID-19 lockdown – NAPTIP
With the availability of illicit drugs, narcotics and other psychotropic substances, they graduate into addicts that can engage and perpetrate any form of social vice including raping underage vulnerable children.
The advancement in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) gave the youth easy access to illicit phonographic sites where they watch contents that can fill their youthful minds with lust, ecstasy and dangerous drives towards vein glorious act. Also, the lack of gainful employment, idleness and redundancies may lure them to resort to raping vulnerable children to ventilate their strong feeling of sexuality.
The most disheartening and disgusting part of the problem is that, some of the cases involved parents, relatives and family friends of the victims.
This of course may be attributed to a psychological abnormality or aberration referred to as pedophilia. This is a condition in which a fully grown up adult can feel sexually attracted to underage children.
The cause of these mental conditions is prevalent in our society and the extent of its contribution to the rising cases of underage rape is yet to be ascertained. But it may constitute one of the major causes of the pandemic in the global arena.
Meanwhile, it has been severally reported that, some cases of rape are attributed to rituals and some diabolic spiritual practices.
Some unscrupulous native doctors, traditionalists and some misguided religious leaders instruct their adherents to engage in coital relationship with children for the speedy and assured achievement of their goals.
To curtail this ugly trend in the society, parents, teachers, guardians and the community need to play their role of protecting, training, guarding, guiding and caring for the children under their custody.
Not only relying on governments, communities should form disciplinary and reconciliatory committees that should comprise of traditional, community, political and religious leaders, for settling marital disputes and providing guidance and counseling to the youth in the community.
The committee should also work to instill discipline, morality, right values, attitudes and behaviours in the society especially, the youths and children. The religious houses should also organise preaching sessions to advocate for value reorientation and societal reforms, so as to inculcate self discipline and righteousness in their adherents.
The government at local, state and federal levels should formulate policies and plans to enlighten and educate the citizens on the evils of rape as well as put stringent penalties to those that are indicted of rape cases.
They should be named, shamed and punished to serve as deterrent to the rest of the society.
The piece was written by Usman Aliyu ([email protected])
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