February 2025
Today, a discussion session on violence and abuse was conducted with the children of Awaaz Child Group, Simara Bhawanipur, Rautahat. Before diving into the main discussion, we briefly reviewed the key points from our previous meeting, which focused on child rights.
To begin, I asked everyone, “What is violence?” The children responded with answers such as hitting someone, scolding them, etc. I then posed another question: “If someone touches another person inappropriately, prevents them from speaking, only commands them to do tasks, speaks harshly, or humiliates them—does that count as violence?” Most of them said “yes,” while a few said “no.”
When I asked those who said “no” to explain their reasoning, they replied, “If it doesn’t cause physical injury, then it is not violence.”
Listening to their thoughts, I explained, “Any form of mistreatment that negatively impacts a person—physically, mentally, socially, or economically—is considered violence. Violence can happen within families, communities, and even schools.”
Children shared their experiences, mentioning instances where they regularly face scolding, beatings, discrimination, and mistreatment from family members, community members, and teachers. I emphasized the importance of speaking up, saying, “If you ever feel that you are experiencing violence, do not keep it to yourself out of fear. Speak up immediately—either by responding to the person or by informing a trusted friend, family member, or another reliable person. Staying silent can make things worse.”
The children listened attentively, and then one of them raised his hand and shared his experience: “One of our teachers always carries a plastic pipe to the classroom. He beats us and tells us not to come to school if we don’t complete our homework. I am very scared of him, and sometimes I don’t even feel like going to school.”
Hearing this, I reassured them and explained, “It is also a form of violence when a teacher beats children in such a way. To avoid this, you should always try to complete your homework. If you don’t understand something, ask your friends or your teacher. Also, study at home regularly. But at the same time, remember not to engage in any form of violence against others.”
The children responded in unison, “Yes, sir!” I then reminded them that respecting elders and being kind to younger ones is part of good behavior. They should always be aware of their surroundings and take what they learn seriously. Additionally, they must develop the ability to distinguish between right and wrong and evaluate situations independently.
I also assured them that I would visit their homes for follow-ups and to monitor their progress.
With this commitment, today’s session came to a successful conclusion.
Thank you,
Binod Kumar Ram
Simara Bhawanipur, Rautahat