Scarred at home

WHEN homes turn violent towards children, the psychosocial damage is lifelong. In Pakistan, parental violence is reaching grave levels. This should prompt a public and political, not private, response. Despite legal protections, addressing deeply interlinked social and mental health issues has become crucial, says the Society for the Protection of the Rights of the Child. With fewer than 500 clinical psychologists — only 270 to 400 are available to a population exceeding 240m — violence by parents is likely to grow. Sparc’s research reveals a tragic spike in murders by family members, including parents: last June alone, at least three incidents of deaths by torture and poisoning occurred in Rawalpindi. August saw a mother knife her child to death in Karachi; two children were strangled in Khewra and Pir Dadan Shah in October, while another three were poisoned by their father in Abbottabad. More recent incidents involving children found with slit throats in Lahore remain seared in public memory. The situation worsens in places where such sins are either underreported or hidden. Seeing the curse as a family matter rather than a social crisis grants a licence to abuse.

Socioeconomic distress, undetected mental health battles, domestic discord and the age-old cultural preference for male children are costing innocent lives. Yet Pakistan’s extended lassitude has shaped a society that not only facilitates widespread childhood trauma but also neglects child rights. Wounded childhoods convert into permanent susceptibility to mental illnesses, despair, violence, drug abuse, and the perpetuation of abuse across generations. Every alarm bell has fallen on deaf ears; the state still looks away from a problem that demands stronger mental health care, child protection reforms and a wider network of protection services to reach families in crisis. Risk assessments should also take into account family dynamics and parents’ childhood histories. To ensure that no child falls through the cracks, educational facilities, madressahs and teachers must be aware of the law, services and child rights; neglect should have serious consequences. Experts believe that children trapped in environments where violence between the parents or towards them is normalised view aggression as a means of conflict resolution. They then grow up to perpetuate the same cycle. The home must be the safest space, as having a child is a responsibility, not a liability.

Published in Dawn, May 9th, 2026

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