“Child abuse is a crucial issue in Egypt, especially when it occurs within the family which is the cornerstone of the community.”
With these words, researcher and Watani journalist Mervat Ayad introduces her PhD thesis titled “The Role of the Coptic Church in confronting Child Abuse,”
Ms Ayad defines child abuse as a pattern of aggressive behaviour in which a person in position of power exercises authority and strength over a child. Abuse may be physical, psychological, sexual, social, or economic. It leads to physical, psychological, or social distress and harm for the child who then grows into a damaged human being, also for families and the community as a whole.
In view of such great risks, Ms Ayad points out, both the international and local communities have taken action to combat child abuse. International treaties were enacted, and many countries—among them Egypt—have criminalised child abuse.
With honours
Ms Ayad was recently granted a PhD with honours by the Coptic Orthodox Institute of Pastoral Care and Education (IPCE) for her thesis.
The thesis was discussed under patronage of Pope Tawadros II, and the Supreme Head of the IPCE; Anba Moussa, Bishop of Youth and Deputy of the Institute; and under supervision of Professor Rasmy Abdel-Malek, who supervises post-graduate studies at the Institute.
The discussion committee was chaired by Dr Gamal Shehata Habib, Professor of Social Service at Helwan University, Professor at the IPCE, and Head of the Social and Education Department at the Institute of Coptic Studies. The committee members comprised Dr Boutros Hafez Boutros, Professor of Psychological Health and former Dean of the Faculty of Early Childhood Education at Cairo University and Head of Childhood Sector at the Supreme Council of Universities; as well as Professor Afaf Abdel-Fady Daniel, Professor of Psychology and Head of of Social Sciences department at the College of Social Service, Fayoum University.
The research was supervised by Dr Gamal Shehata Habib; and Dr Wafaa’ Hakim Louis, expert at the Education Ministry’s Curriculum Development Centre, and a lecturer at the Institute.
Official concern
Ms Ayad points out that the research was, as indicated by its topic, of a qualitative nature. The main axes of the study were conducted through an authenticated questionnaire form.
The research sample was drawn from three areas in eastern Cairo, each representing a social class: poor, middle class, or privileged. Three churches were chosen for the study: church of Archangel Michael and St Moses the Strong in Ezbet al-Haggana; church of the Virgin Mary and Mar-Mina in Nasr City; and church of the Holy Virgin in Ard al-Golf, Heliopolis.
Ms Ayad starts by stressing the Egyptian State’s concern about the rights of children at the institutional level. This concern translated into the establishment of long standing State bodies that concern themselves with child and family issues, major among them is the National Council for Motherhood and Childhood (NCMC). She underlines the parallel role to be played by the Coptic Church as a religious institution entrusted with protecting its children from all forms of abuse.
Ms Ayad’s research is considered the first study to monitor and investigate the role of the Coptic Church in confronting the issue of abuse against children, whether in prevention or treatment, especially in light of the increasing number of children being abused and the lack of care they receive. It was accordingly necessary to monitor the aspects of abuse against children within families, analyse and deal with them, in addition to shedding light on the negative effects of child abuse and raising awareness among families about the risks.
Coptic Church’s role
The researcher poses the question: “What are the aspects and causes of abuse against children? How far does the Church endeavour to deal with such abuse? And what is the adequate approach to confront that problem?
Ms Ayad stresses the major role played by the family as a fundamental educational institution. With this in mind, family counseling centres should be established in churches to provide all family members with psychological and therapeutic guidance to fulfill both protection and treatment.
As a preventive measure, Ms Ayad recommends holding specialised courses and seminars to prepare newly engaged and married couples for their responsibility as prospective parents. She also advises regular visits of Church servants to families, to be able to detect domestic problems before they augment into child abuse.
Among other recommendations are establishing a social support network for families suffering from social marginalisation; and monitoring the economic situation of poor families and helping them out with offers of employment so that their children would not be victims of the situation.
The study also recommends that churches provide medical treatment for abused children to help remedy any physical damage caused by the abuse, and establish specialised programmes to rehabilitate victims of abuse psychologically and spiritually as well.
She draws attention to the importance of churches offering programmes for rehabilitating drug-addict or alcoholic parents, given that the high likeliness of them abusing their children.
Modern technology
Ms Ayad recommends making use of modern technology by allocating websites that focus on topics related to the causes, aspects, and consequences of child abuse. Such websites, she notes, would display short films that disclose the reasons behind child abuse, and should prepare brochures and publications to raise awareness of the peril of abuse to children, family, and society. She also suggests establishing a database that includes accurate, up-to-date statistics classified and indexed according to the cases of abuse against children.
Of utmost importance, according to Ms Ayad, is the allocation of hotlines to receive calls for help to save any child that is being abused. This makes it easier to study each case individually and identify the causes of child abuse for treatment.
Mervat Ayad is a journalist at Watani. She has a Master’s degree in family counseling from the Institute of Pastoral Care and Education, a mini master degree in business management and human development from Edmore University in the US; a diploma in psychological and family counseling from Ain Shams University in Cairo; and several specialised diplomas in behaviour modification, psychological counseling, psychological analysis, personality types, and emotional intelligence.
Ms Ayad has to her name two Arabic poetry collections: “Tears of the Oysters”, and “Sinbad of My Dreams”.
Watani International
3 October 2023