Physical violence

One of the main reasons why legislation against domestic abuse and violence is difficult to implement is because it is widely prevalent in our society. Physical violence is common in many relationships including spouses, children and even parents.

The case of a man brutally thrashing his mother in a viral video has been met with shock and dismay. There has been outrage over the physical violence against his own mother allegedly at the instigation of his wife over a property dispute. A mother is the most sacred relationship and religious injunctions sternly warn against disobedience towards parents.

The person has been arrested and strict action should be taken against him. This has also highlighted the rising incidents of domestic abuse and violence. We have seen several cases of sexual abuse against children. A tutor has been caught in Khairpur for molesting his minor students. It has been revealed he was a serial pedophile who was involved in assaulting more than a hundred children.

There has been no justice for the minor housemaids who have been killed or brutally tortured for petty issues. Zohra Shah was killed by her employer for merely freeing a parrot. Honour killings, crimes against women, rapes are rising. The government is considering banning domestic child labour but it would hard to pass legislation. There has been no implementation over the Zainab Alert bill passed earlier this year.

Physical violence in personal relationships often starts at home. It starts gradually and then become more aggressive over time and remains taboo due to the stigma attached to it. Physical violence is illegal, unethical, immoral, and should not be tolerated against any circumstances. We can to spread awareness for victims to speak out if there are being physically abused and provide them support.

An abuser will often blame the victim or someone else for saying or doing something that led to violent behaviour. They could also be under the influence of drugs, alcohol, and due to stress or frustration. It should be remembered that physical violence is always the responsibility of the abuser and is never justified or acceptable. We need to take more strict action against all forms of abuse in our society.