This is a picture of a cat.
Saeed Hossein Zadeh Mohaddes

Usually, a person’s identity and personality are formed during childhood – and until reaching maturity – and for years, according to scientific principles, the root of human problems is sought in their childhood. Violence against children and any form of child abuse can be considered as one of the most severe types of violence that can cause lasting injuries.

Children who grow up in the streets, deprived of a guardian and suitable educational environment, and faced with numerous pressures and limitations, are among the most vulnerable children. These children – both boys and girls – who nowadays have to deal with extreme physical pressures and cold weather in many areas, are exposed to various forms of harm and even sexual abuse and violence, and so far we have not been able to do much to solve these problems.

Although there is no solid and accurate statistics, the latest official statistics announced by Iranian statistical centers and responsible or related institutions such as Welfare, Municipality, and City Council have confirmed the existence of between seven to twenty thousand working children in Tehran. This is while NGOs, populations, and active non-governmental organizations in the field of child labor report a higher number, which is, of course, due to the difference in statistical factors.

But what is violence? Violence can take tangible forms such as hitting or forcing a child to do something with force and intimidation, or in other hidden forms of violence, such as humiliation, neglect, starvation, etc. Although the effects of the second type, such as violence and direct physical confrontation, may not be visible, it has a similar impact on the child’s mind and psyche.

Sometimes it is observed that some people, for example some drivers or shopkeepers and business owners, see these children as a hindrance to their business and life, and on the other hand they are aware that these children do not have legal and human rights support, they easily insult, belittle, physically abuse, or even humiliate or sexually harass these children. In other cases, these children are abused or violated by individuals who suffer from sexual and mental problems and abnormalities, without any means of prosecution, especially since most of these cases are not reported or recorded. It is even possible for the child, due to immaturity or lack of understanding of the nature of the incident they have experienced, or even to prevent them from being in danger and losing their position among their peers or older children who work alongside them, or out of fear of punishment and similar situations, to refrain from expressing and speaking out about it. Surely you know that the delay in disclosing abuses and sexual abuses against children who are in

It should be noted here that when we talk about “sexual harassment” or “sexual abuse”, it does not necessarily mean rape and can be seen in various forms. Sexual harassment refers to any behavior or action that is inhumane and accompanied by physical or psychological harm to the victim and in the form of sexual relationships and behaviors. Humiliation and sexual harassment can be verbal or in any other form that their definition and explanation is lengthy and specialized. In any case, the impact of any type of sexual harassment on children will be very deep.

Children who are orphaned or neglected and work on the streets are forced to grow up much faster than their peers! Violence against these children has become so normal and I myself have personally witnessed many cases where a driver, shopkeeper, passerby, or even an adult beggar or street vendor, for various reasons, would easily insult or physically abuse a child after they have interacted with them, such as selling their goods or cleaning a car window, or simply for sitting in an inappropriate place and witnessing children’s fights and hearing their loud voices; and sometimes it happens that an older child or someone who is in charge of the children and wants to take them home or to their resting place, suddenly says “one of the girls is missing!”… The tragedy happens so easily and I have seen cases where a brother, who himself was busy working and begging, was frantically looking for his sister. After a few hours or sometimes after a few days, the missing girl returns but does not talk about

There are many unfortunate observations and events, but expressing all of them neither cures the pain nor prevents the recurrence of such issues. Solving any social problem requires decision-making, collective support, and action. The fact that some percentage of these children are Iranian and some are immigrants or illegal residents does not change anything and cannot question the human identity and rights of these children. This is where we should ask for help from the people, responsible organizations, and institutions, and expect a positive response. Giving cash to an orphaned child does not help their life and can even worsen their situation or promote child labor, but at least we can treat all children equally and behave appropriately with them.

Any citizen who intends to help these children can become familiar with organizations, active communities in this field, and welfare centers through a brief research or internet search and fulfill their humanitarian duty and play an important role in this collective movement without spending too much time.

At the end, it must be remembered that symbolic and surface-level actions, carried out by some individuals and groups out of sympathy, can also contribute to the perpetuation of these problems. The root cause of this issue must be addressed, especially through education and cultural awareness, which is what we need today. It should also be noted that educating children, who are more vulnerable to pressure and harm, about sexual and social issues can prevent many incidents. There is not much time to save a street child; once they are driven to madness by the violence of the streets or suffer from severe and advanced mental and physical illnesses, our job becomes very difficult, if not impossible. So start now; your task will be very easy.