Child Molestation Amounts to Sex Abuse

Child Molestation Amounts to Sex Abuse

By

S J Tubrazy

The child molestation includes rape of a child, it noted that the expression “child molestation” has not been defined in any law. The Concise Oxford Dictionary, 8th Edition, defines the word molest as under:‑

(i) annoy or pester(a person) in a hostile or injurious way;

(ii) attach or interfere with (a person) specifically sexually.

The term “child molestation” is sometimes used as synonymous to child abuse. Child abuse could take more than one forms as under:‑‑

(i)  physical beatings to a child or subjecting him to severe beatings, burns, strangulation, or human bites. ,

(ii)        Neglecting a child by not providing the basic necessities of life including refusal or delay in providing food, clothing, shelter, medical care, and education, as well as abandonment and inadequate supervision.

(iii)       Emotional abuse is a kind of behaviour that attacks a child’s emotional development and sense of self‑esteem. Examples include constant criticizing, belittling, insulting, rejecting, and providing no love, support, or guidance.

(iv)       Sexual molestation is the sexual exploitation of a child, including rape, incest, fondling of the genitals, pornography, or exhibitionism.

Thus child molestation would certainly be a child abuse but all acts of child abuse would not necessarily be child molestation. Sexual molestation of child could be of various types. It could be fondling of the genital organs of the child, or it could be showing him nude photographs to arouse his sexual emotions or it could be in form of physical nudity with the object of sexually provoking or exploiting a child.

  ( Author is Lawyer of by profession )