始流 First Drops: Matilda-向虐說不 Refuse to Abuse
編按：始流 First Drops 欄目專供同學們發表意見，書寫其對社會的觀察、探索人文藝術與人權議題之間的連結。本文作者（雙語版本）Amanda Chan 及 Athena Lam 為香港聖羅撒書院學生。
Editor’s Notes: 始流 First Drops is a column for students to share their social observations, and to explore the link between arts and human rights issues. The authors of this article (both English & Chinese versions), Amanda Chan and Athena Lam are students from St. Rose of Lima’s College in Hong Kong.
你有沒有試過在小時候被父母或老師打呢?相信不少人也曾經有這樣的經驗。英國著名由小説改編而成的音樂劇 Matilda the Musical 便能令我們記起關於虐待兒童的問題。作家Roald Dahl利用了校長Miss Trunchbull對學生所做的冷血行為去表達虐待兒童的問題。其中一個Miss Trunchbull虐待學生的例子就是她在全校面前強迫偷食了她的蛋糕的學生Bruce自己一人吃一整個非常大的蛋糕，這對Bruce造成了身體上的傷害。但是，這一些恐怖的虐待兒童問題不只在這個音樂劇上發生而在我們身邊都有發生這些事情。究竟為什麼這些問題會經常發生？大部份的兒童他們當遇到對他們有害的事情都不會懂得去說出來，因此很多大人都會用他們來發洩，來抒發自己平時在日常生活上遇到的壓力，令兒童往往成為受害的對象。
其實虐待兒童的問題是可以避免的。首先可以教育小朋友當他們遇到一些類似這樣的事情他們不應該獨自去承受，而應該勇敢地說出來就像Matilda一樣。他在音樂劇的結尾時聯同其他同學一起對抗可惡的Miss Trunchbull，最終得到勝利平反了這事。其次，家長亦要懂得他們不應該拿小朋友作為發洩和抒發壓力的對象。就在我們上星期天的工作坊裏，我們談及了虐待者的觀點和如何避免虐待兒童發生。同學們都留意到，當虐待者在很大的壓力下，他們便不能站在兒童的角度去感受他們的心情。所以他們是十分需要同情心。當我們每一個人都能為他人設想的話，那他們便不會虐待兒童。
Have you ever experienced a ridiculous big slap on your face by your parents or teachers? The well-renowned musical, Matilda the musical, might seems to be light-hearted and yet it reminds us of the shameful child abuse. Throughout Matilda the musical, Roald Dahl addresses the issue of child abuse by cases like the headmaster, Miss Trunchbull, holds an assembly to publicly humiliate a student, Bruce, forcing him to gorge himself on cake to the point of physical illness. However, disappointedly, not only does it happen in the musical, it still happens around us. Why though? Children, defenceless and innocent, are not able to protect themselves against abuse while adults were using the way of abusing children to vent their stress and anger.
Meanwhile, child abuse is actually avoidable. Children should not stay put and bare the torment while adults should be reminded that children are not the object that they can vent that pressure on. Children should definitely fight for their justice like how Matilda didn’t bow to the sinister adults in the musical but fight for the better treatment she deserved. Last Saturday, in our MoTH workshop, we discussed the perspective of the abuser and how child abuse can be avoided. Our fellows suggested that under the great stress that the abuser was enduring, they are not able to put themselves into the children’s shoes to understand their feelings of being abused. That’s why being empathetic should be promoted to improve this issue. If all are able to give a try in understanding others’ feelings, they wouldn’t do so to hurt the children.
Be somebody who makes everybody feel like a somebody. Hope that everyone would be aware of this so that there would be less suffering for the innocent children!
