Child Abuse and Music Therapy - "Chords 4 Change"

Studies show that 1 out of 5 children die every day because of the mental disorders rising from child abuse around the world. The question of how many children are abused and neglected each year in the Africa is seemingly simple, but it does not have an easy answer. Psychological and mental disorders are among the biggest effects on victims of child abuse. One thing that these statistics make clear is that we need creative solutions to the rising crisis.

Several Child Abuse Centers have been built all over Africa to rehabilitate the children from the post-abuse effects. One of the driving causes of abuse—and mental disorders for children—is neglect from parents. Research shows that these centers have specific treatments for child abuse victims. However, access to the best treatment is expensive, and few centers have the funds to pay for private psychologists.

One of the best—and most creative—treatments available today is music therapy. Unfortunately, in Africa, less than 10% of the psychotherapists use music therapy as a treatment to child abuse victimization. The reasons behind this are fairly straightforward: most therapists are not aware of the benefits of music therapy.

Depressed adolescents listening to music experienced a significant decrease in stress hormone (cortisol) levels, and most adolescents shifted towards left frontal EEG activation (associated with positive affect). This is because music controls the excessive production of stress hormones and calms the blood cells, helping the cells to expand, and allowing the nervous system to relax.

While effective, music therapy is also one of the most expensive forms of psychological treatment. The cost of music lessons and equipment alone prohibit most poor children from picking up an instrument.

Even as a hobby, music helps to relax and relieve stress. It is also seen as one of the major stress management tool. Studies even show that the musicians tend to have a greater ability to manage stress than others.

Rather than getting music therapists to treat these victimized children, we must take actions on a grass-root level and steps that are easily approachable. One of the major steps that should be taken is to encourage young, motivated and experienced musicians to help in rehabilitation for victims. Another step that we can take is to get the musicians teaching the children how to play music, so that the children can help themselves with music.

One popular idea is to create a portal to connect donors with musicians all over the Africa, encouraging them to gift the victims with the musical instruments and the language of music, helping them encouraging self-treatment for the post-abuse effects.

Through music therapy, we can solve the issue in the best effective, yet efficient way possible. The officials must take steps that can encourage, motivate, inspire and empower effected victims to learn self-treatment through music, at the same time, encourage musicians to teach these victims voluntarily. With this, comes the idea of launching a new youth initiative in Qatar called "Chords 4 Change".

Chords 4 Change, is preferably set to launch by the end of 2013 with success stories. It will therefore conduct it's first concert and performance from abused children during late 2013 or early 2014. I believe, together, with collaborative support of humanity and Chords 4 Change, we can altogether help these kids out.

Till then, if you think you believe in this idea, and support it, drop me down an email directly at abdulrehmansajid@gmail.com.