Culled from our Instructional Manuals: S.A.F.E™ for YOU

TIP 75

‘Children are not prostitutes but victims of crime.’ Thomson Reuters Foundation 

I am glad to be with you today my dear and precious young one. I am still very excited now, like I was when we started this great discussion, leading us to the Promised Land of Personal Safety and Self-Protection.

I am excited because I know that you are reading through these pages, coming in contact with something written for your best interest; as you read, you are increasing learning; and as you increase learning, you become wiser by the day. With wisdom, you are better off, you are countless miles far ahead of the abuser or predator and voluntary and involuntary agents of pain.

I am still discussing this ‘Child Marriage’ and many issues surrounding it. I am interested in proving to you that it is real and you must stand against it for yourself and others, particularly those who cannot speak for themselves. Here are some additional facts to the ones I gave you before.

According to statistics on the UNWOMEN’s website http://www.unwomen.org:

• 700 million women alive today were said to have been ‘married’ before 18 and more than one-third are said to be less than 15 years old when they were ‘married.’
• One in three girls in developing countries (except China) gets ‘married’ before they turn 18.’ This translates to the fact that 15(fifteen) million children may be ‘married’ out before they are 18 years and this act truncates their childhood, education, health and gets them to begin to have children when they are themselves children and are not prepared for same both psychologically and physiologically

I have big issues with the expressions known as ‘Child Marriage’ and ‘Child Prostitution.’ I strongly believe that the use of the expressions (‘Child Marriage’ and ‘Child Prostitution’) shields the evil of both practices and gives a sense of legitimacy to the practices.’

Permit me to say to you that by the universally acceptable definition of marriage as voluntary union between a man and a woman, it is impossible for a child to marry or be married.

Therefore what we all inaccurately refer to as ‘Child Marriage’ today is nothing but what I call ‘Domesticated Child Sexual Abuse or Molestation’(DCSA/M)

We are aware that there is a minority of people, who for personal gains or narrow argument from the perspective of religion, who are of the view that a child (any one below 18) could ‘marry’ or be ‘married.’ But it is high time we made it clear that such position does not pass the test of universality of the age-long description of the sacred institution of marriage.

Besides, considering the dire and bizarre consequences of the practice forcing a child into sexual relationship with an adult in the name of ‘marriage,’ it is clear that such is against natural order of creation.

We are also aware that the campaigners against this practice may use the expression of ‘Child Marriage’ for ease of understanding. But my challenge is that we cannot sacrifice truth and universal definitions on the altar of ease of understanding.

A child cannot be said to have ‘married.’ Every child, who is in the house of a man or woman today is not in ‘marriage.’ She or he is suffering from what I have chosen to refer to as ‘Domesticated Child Sexual Abuse or Molestation.’ (DCSA/M).

I think we should end our discussion here today. Tomorrow is another day. Do have an INSPIRED day.

The THINK Factor

What do you think about the term, ‘Child Marriage’? Do you think it exists? Whatever, your response is, please think about the reasons for your response. Take time to really reflect and share your thoughts in your S.A.F.E™ 4 YOU Personal Journal.