Princess Adela Bint Abdullah, Vice Chairman of the National Family Security Program, deserves to be praised for her efforts to confront the scourge of domestic violence and child abuse that no one can credibly deny is a serious problem in the Kingdom. By announcing the establishment of a child help-line and calling for the joint efforts of the media, education bodies, the judiciary and various protection committees to tackle the problem, she has made it clear that she realizes the complexity of the problem and the many-faceted approach that is needed to bring it under control. The children's help-line is of particular importance because it is a clear statement to children that abuse within the home is not acceptable and does not have to be a part of their lives. Children, of course, are especially vulnerable to domestic violence as they usually have no way of knowing that the treatment they receive at home is unusual or any different than that received by their peers in their own homes. A child who grows up surrounded by violence in the home is likely to believe that all homes exist under similar conditions and that suffering violence or sexual abuse at the hands of other family members is just a normal part of family life. The establishment of the help-line through which children can seek help makes it clear to all youngsters that violence is not nor does it have to be part of the norm at home. The help-line will no doubt offer an exit from abusive situations to a number of children but almost as importantly it will raise the awareness of children that they do not have suffer abuse at the hands of anyone. Princess Adela's call for the participation of media, schools, the judiciary and other bodies is a sign of the recognition that awareness is a first and extremely important step. Once it is made clear that abuse need not be tolerated and that there are consequences for the perpetrator, everyone will have to rethink their behavior. __
