Addressing the issue of family violence at the Jeddah Chamber of Industry and
Commerce last week, Inaam Robai, chairperson of the Committee for Protecting
Children?s Rights at the Armed Forces Hospital, said that child abuse in Saudi
Arabia has become a very serious issue.
"The term 'family violence' includes many different forms of abuse,
mistreatment or neglect that adults or children may experience in their homes,"
said Robai. "As our understanding of the nature and extent of violence within
intimate relationships and families improves, and our insight deepens, the
definition of family violence continues to evolve."
She pointed out that Interior Ministry studies have shown that 45 percent of
children are mistreated during their daily lives.
"Unfortunately we don't like to talk about the problem and we always ignore it
here in Saudi Arabia," she said.
Robai cited a study of Makkah households estimating that 77 percent of child
abusers are parents.
"Abuse may take place anywhere and may occur, for example, within the child's
home or that of someone known to the child," she said.
"Many cases of child abuse remain undisclosed, either because a child does not,
or cannot, tell anyone what has happened to them, or because no one reports the
abuse to the authorities."
Participants in recent conference in Jeddah called for forming a committee of
experts under the supervision of the Ministry of Social Affairs to solve
problems concerning domestic issues.
