Exploring the Causes of Child Abuse in Punjab: Reflections from the Narratives of Child Molesters

Abstract

The present qualitative study is aimed to explore the role of the lived experiences among child molesters in the urban and rural areas of Punjab, Pakistan. The purpose of this study was to find out the basic difference and reasons behind child sexual abuse in urban and rural areas. The present study also contributed to some new insights into the problem. 12 semi-structured interviews were conducted in the selected areas (Jhelum Gujrat). The content validity of the interview guide was checked through the expert opinion of the ethical committee in the field of qualitative research. The purposive sampling technique was used to include child molesters in the study. Respondents pointed out the role of their own lived experiences in child molestation. Some of them have reported that they had faced child abuse in childhood and some of them pointed out that it has happened incidentally. The study suggests that every individual has his own personal schemas of sex experiences which led them toward child molestation. There are huge socio-economic and developmental differences in child molesters of urban and rural areas.