Recently, there has been an
increase in reported cases of pedophilia also known as child sex abuse in Jos,
the Plateau state capital. Records from prison admissions over the past three (3)
months show that more and more people are either remanded or convicted for the
offence of having sexual intercourse with minors, with some of the victims as
young as two (2) years old! What is absurd and ludicrous about this phenomenon
is that those in the habit of this queer crime are senior citizens whose ages
range from between 60 and 85 years old.
This eccentric phenomenon which
has become a regular occurrence in Jos, the Plateau state capital, calls for
concern for parents and guardians of underage girls of age 1 to 16 years as
this crime which used to be a rare eventuality has now pervaded the society. Though
it has been said that pedophilia is a mental illness, the rate at which it is
committed nowadays, most especially in Jos and environs, calls for serious
concern to those of us who have underage daughters. For the benefit of those
who have not heard of the word before, pedophiles are individuals who are
preferentially or solely sexually attracted to children, generally 13 years or
less.
Usually, these pedophiles entice
these underage girls using little gifts and handouts to convince them and thereafter
have carnal knowledge of them. Thereafter, they threaten their victims not to
disclose what transpired to anybody or else, they will be killed. With that in
mind, the minor is helpless as she will keep mum. With this, the pedophile subsequently
continues to have unfettered carnal knowledge of the minor until they meet
their waterloo. Some of these pedophiles may be neighbours or family friends
who stay in the same locality; they may be teachers in school, or even strangers
out there. However, a greater number of pedophiles are relatives; in fact some
parents engage in such act with their children or grandchildren!
Some of these pedophiles report
that they engage in such anathema for diabolic reasons which include voodoo for
longevity, to be wealthy, to attract favour and political power, as well as for
magic. Others blame it on their inability to keep their marriages, while a
greater number of them blame it on the devil. There is no clear cause of
pedophilia, but psychologists suggest that there may be a biological or neurological
reason for this. Several researchers have found that pedophiles’ brains are, in
essence, wired to find immature faces sexually attractive. Other researchers
have identified inadequacy in hormonal secretion as a cause of pedophilia,
concluding that there is some evidence that pedophilic men have less testosterone
than controls. Psychoanalysts attribute it to the imbalance in the structures
of the mind which culminate into inability of the offender to delay
gratification.
There are fears that child sex
abuse is actually under-reported due to cultural believes and practices in this
part of the world. Parents whose children have been sexually abused tend not to
report the incidence to appropriate authorities because they feel it will bring
shame and embarrassment to the victim’s family, and may limit the victim’s
chances to get suitors when they are ready to marry. Hence, so many of these
unfortunate incidences are not reported to the police, and the crime continues
to fester. Again, poverty and widespread hunger contribute to the increase in
this dastardly phenomenon. Most of the victims are usually little girls who are
lured into the act using little gifts such as money, biscuits, candies, foods
etc., with their ignorance and inexperience, they fall prey to these licentious
old men. Furthermore, most of the victims have no adequate parental control and
supervision. It is either their parents are out there struggling to fend for
the children and/or they are separated or divorced and leave the minors to
their fates.
What should parents do to avoid
their underage children from falling victim of this unnatural phenomenon? First,
parents who have little children must begin from the cradle to teach them sex education.
Shying away from discussing sexual issues with their kids is dangerous as they
will end up being wrongly taught by the wrong persons about sex. It behoves on
parents to orientate their children about sensitive body parts right from day
one. Parents should also supervise their children and make sure that they are
aware of their whereabouts at all times. Do not allow older adults to lasciviously
play with your children or even call them lustful names. Parents should also
train their children to feel free and discuss every happening with them; and
when you notice that your children have been abused, do not sweep it under the
carpet, report it to the nearest police station for investigation and
prosecution.
