Mostly children run away from their houses due to different factors like negligence, physical abuse, without knowing the problems they have to face after running.This thing can be best explained by the word ‘corporal’ punishment. It is the use of physical punishment or force to correct a child’s behavior. Other definition of this term can also include mental abuse, physical abuse or humiliation intended as discipline. This issue is quite common in our country and regularly practiced in the Schools, Madrassass and homes, which is the major reason for a child for a child to runaway. Abuse and violence in school may include exploitation by peers or teachers, bullying, sexual abuse and harassment.
Thousands of children, mostly runaways, roam the streets of Pakistan’s major cities to earn a living, preferring the streets to their homes. Many children run away because of the following reasons:- Constant quarrels of parents, causing severe insecurity in the child.
- If they feel unloved.
- Sibling rivalry or arrival of a new child.
- Fear of physical danger like the father beating them for a certain wrongdoing.
- Fear that there will be withdrawal of emotional support for wrong doings.
- Failure or decline in the examination or test paper.
- If prone to impulsiveness.
- To accompany a friend in distress.
- Many children run because they run to a better life and many feels if they don’t run, they might end up found in severe situation.
Many children are the victims of abuse, whether it can be verbal, scolding slapping, shouting, twisting ears, insulting, beating by their parents, step parents, older sibling, also can be by other relatives. This situation effects the child development whether it can be mentally, emotionally, socially or behaviorally.Mostly school dropouts belong to poor families and end up on streets where they are exposed to all types of abuse and exploitations.
These children are not carter or treated well. There are often treated or dismissed as “druggies”, “Aids infected” or “prostitutes” etc
This is the most vulnerable group to Child Sexual Abuse. They are forcefully involved in it by the organized crime network, and latter it becomes a means of survival in the streets. Their erratic existence some times produces distortion of the mind in the younger children who lose track of time, and distance, they do not know how long they are wandering.
Runaway of children is a complex and hidden phenomena in Pakistan, requires innovative and evidence based responses it is clear from this study that there is an urgent need for holistic and child-centered implies that a program m fully respects all element of the child. Things that can be done: - Addressing the root causes of children leaving their houses at a younger age,
- Challenging the existing socio-culture norms and practices,
- Recognizing street/runaway children as rights holders and social actors,
- More in depth research was needed on various manifestations of runaways including trafficking etc,
- The results should be used for advocacy lobbying and for designing child protection programs in the frame world of Nation plan of action against causes of this problem,
- Educate the community so it can recognize children who may be at risk for exploitation, recognize exploitation and their tricks, and be aware of the strategies and actions for intervention,
- Children’s clubs and child centered and media may be important tools for sensitizing children peer support programs and peer to peer drama may be interest methods to strengthen child participation and ownership of children,
- The media in its multiple forms should educate the public and make aware nesses to eliminate the stereotypes surroundings for runaway children and youth.
Studies suggests that communities should be involved in the re integration process of the victims from the beginning. This may avoid stigmatization and may facilitative
re integration of the victims, also awareness and education on life skills (assertion skills etc) will help in the prevention of abuse and exploitation and the development of protection behavior in children. While integrating personal health, protection and integration should be included into the formal school curriculum.
Law makers should implement education programs for at risk children so they can recognize and be aware of appropriate ways to protect themselves from abusive behavior and to promote their impersonal communicational skills, critical thinking, confidence and self esteem. It will lead to heightening of their awareness and lessen their risks of becoming victims of runaways.
in late 1999, after a psychopath, Javed Iqbal, wrote in to national newspapers claiming he had murdered 100 street children, and then dissolved their bodies in acid. Though the deaths were never proven, the recognition by the victim's families of their clothing, carefully preserved by Iqbal, and the failure of any of the boys, all photographed by Iqbal before their deaths, to turn up, suggest the claims of the man who became known as the country's most notorious serial killer, may well have been accurate. Javed committed suicide in mysterious circumstances at Lahore's Kot Lakhpat Jail two years after handing himself in to police in 2000. His lawyers still maintain he was murdered by other convicts or jail staff.
The shocking revelations from Iqbal about his kidnapping and murder of
street children, led to many official pledges to set up shelters for
runaway children and booths where they could seek help. Efforts since then
to put such shelters in place have been minimal, and virtually none run
today in the public sector. The police too remain frequently reluctant to
register reports about missing children, or to play any part in seeking
them out.
However, in April this year the Punjab government set up the Bureau of
Child Protection and Welfare, an initiative supported by the United
Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). The Punjab chief minister's adviser on
children's rights, paediatrician Dr Faiza Asghar, has also said that laws
are being brought in to better protect children, and programmes for child
beggars and addicts devised. "A lot more needs to be done to protect
children who are deprived," she told IRIN.
UNICEF's Shamshad Bokhari explained to IRIN that "our work with the Child
Protection Bureau is a first step in the effort to tackle the runaway
children issue." He added that UNICEF was focusing on two main areas:
"awareness-raising about the problem and the capacity building of recovery
and reintegration staff, which will be working to rehabilitate children."
How far such efforts will succeed in resolving the issue of street
children remains to be seen. The problem is clearly a complex one, tied
into overwhelming poverty, unemployment, violence within homes and the
many social and economic frustrations families confront. The number of
children leaving home, some aged little more than seven or eight, is also
on the increase and it would appear that solutions can come only as part
of broader policies that address the root causes of children's desperation
and their increased suffering as a result of worsening socio-economic
conditions across the country.
MANAGING DIRECTOR OF MANSOOR SHAHID (CPWB)"
We understand that the most authentic information can be acquired only by the help of an expert. So we intend to interview an expert and ask him the certain questions regarding runaways & the answers to them are as follows in the form of a transcript;
TRANSCRIPT OF INTERVIEW IS AS FOLLOWS:
Analysis and transcription of interview conducted from, CPWB’S deputy Managing Director “Mansoor Shahid” :
“Child Friendly Society ensuring all children enjoy their rights without being discriminated especially those of the most vulnerable, i.e. destitute and neglected ones live in a family like environment where their physical, social and psychological needs are fulfilled and rights are protected”. 
“Child abuse and child beggary are stigma on the face of humanity, which have to be remove through joint efforts and liaison between the Government, Non-government Organizations and Society. CP&WB is the first step taken for this noble cause. CP&WB has been established for neglected and destitute children for the provision of Protection, Heath, Education and recreation along with the fulfilment of Emotional and Psychological needs. Let us join hands to help and provide every child on our streets, what is their due rights. Let us protect the future of Pakistan”.
The interviewee refused to be captured by the camera and did not allow us to tape his voice. According to him most of the runaways who are also drug addicts in Lahore are concentrated in the walled city area. He enlightened us with useful information about the types of runaways who are dealt with in the walls of child protection welfare bureau of CPWB. The conditions of the children told by him were even worse, than we noticed in our personal observation.
He made us aware of the reason for which children leave. There houses and about the afterward consequences faced by these young children at the hand of others. He also made us aware about the problem which were being faced by these children, government and private NGO’S, in the process of rehabilitations. According to him the lack of resources, proper education, training and expertise are needed to eliminate this issue. We were convinced of the direness of the drug situation when he stated that even children aged 8-12 years are getting involved in the drug habbit. And the worst part is that children who are being sexually abused are not being handled in an appropriate manner, so they were more vulnerable to the consequences of death etc.
He also stated that parents play a great and vital role in forcing a child to runaway. He has been working on this issue since 1992 and was quite experienced on this particular issue. He stated that there are many rewardable NGO’S who are working on this issue. The top one were Vision , Pehchaan, SPARC etc in the end of the interview he convinced to make awareness among people on this issue and in order to reduce young child runaway from their houses.
He ensured us that the police and respected departments are taking adequate measure to reduce this problem by introducing more severe penalties to the exploit, abuser of these young children. The interviewee gave us hope that the offender should/are put to justice.