Child Protection in Pakistani Communities

The eradication of child abuse is a global responsibility, and Unicef (2020) has called for the end of all forms of abuse towards children by 2030. Yet despite being a global challenge, there remains a dearth of research related to child abuse from low- middle income countries such as Pakistan (Hyder & Malick 2007, Maul et al 2019). There is an urgent and present need therefore, to develop the evidence base on this subject within the context of Pakistan, to develop systems and policies that support the prevention and responses to such cases.

In addition to this, according to Census data, over one million people within the UK identify as being from a Pakistani ethnic background, and transnational concerns also remain when we consider the sexual abuse of children from Pakistani origins in the UK (BBC 2019). Considering these factors, and how the curbing of child abuse is a high priority for Pakistan currently (Khan 2020), it is timely to lead a project supporting new developments to tackle child abuse in Pakistan, whilst sharing knowledge of UK practice, and reviewing practice in the UK in line with societal and cultural challenges in Pakistan.

There is a paucity of research evidence related to the sexual abuse of children from Pakistani backgrounds, and the theoretical and academic knowledge base on the subject is significantly underdeveloped. As such, the evidence/knowledge requires attention, as its development will support organisations and policymakers to base interventions on rigorous and ethically sound research evidence, which is extremely limited at present.

Alongside the development of theoretical knowledge related to the abuse of children in Pakistan, this project will work with local communities and stakeholders to facilitate the protection of children within three geographical locations where incidences of child abuse are high. Over 50% of reported cases of sexual abuse and physical violence against children in Pakistan over recent years have been located within the Punjab Province in Pakistan. The districts of Kasur, Rawalpindi and Islamabad have the highest numbers of reporting (Sahil 2018), which is where research activity in Pakistan will be undertaken.

The gradual process of undertaking research, engagement, and intervention with local communities, institutions and provincial government will allow for sustainable change. For example, community level initiatives will be facilitated, and institutions such as local schools, hospitals, the police and NGO's working within the area, will be engaged to connect the work being done and make the link between disparate elements. Gaps will be identified and steps to fill these gaps will be undertaken with the support of project partners. It is envisaged that the work within Punjab will provide a model which can be replicated elsewhere.

Cross cutting knowledge will be used to develop further research in the UK on the subject. The city of Bradford has the largest proportion of people of Pakistani ethnic origin (20.3%) in England, making the region an appropriate space for this work to be developed within a UK context. The University of Bradford's Division of Social Work is connected to Bradford Social Services through partnership arrangements. Therefore, working together with the Local Authority, further research within the community alongside the learning from Pakistan will provide opportunities to develop best practice guidelines and responses to issues relating to the abuse of children who are from a Pakistani background.