A 10-year-old child was repeatedly raped by two of her uncles; the crime came to light only in July, when the child was declared pregnant. She delivered a baby girl in August. The only hopeful conclusion to this unbelievable and stomach-churning saga of abuse is that this week, the three-month-old baby born to the rape victim was adopted by a couple from Maharashtra.
The graph of child sexual abuse is steadily seeing an upward incline. As a country that touts the presence of the largest population of youth in the world, the rot of child abuse should be the foremost on the list of issues to be tackled. It is undeniable that when innocent, young minds are manipulated by pervert predators, it leaves life-long scars and needs years of counselling and support to eventually grow out of the trauma. If we do not proactively safeguard our children now, we might also be looking at a future generation that is not just traumatised, but full of fear and distrust in the institutions that were meant to protect them, but didn't.
An article published by BBC News, on December 1, 2017 highlights the magnitude and gravity of child safety issues in India. With its readership decidedly being out of India, such news reports also start debates and discussions on foreign shores and might (rightfully) end up creating a hugely negative image - just like in the Nirbhaya rape case. Titled ‘India sexual abuse: Four child victims every hour,' the article draws on data collated from various agencies.
An article published in a national daily in May 2017 talked about a survey conducted by a humanitarian aid organisation called World Vision India. The survey had a sample of 45,844 respondents in the 12- 18 age group, across 26 states in the country. The findings revealed that one in every two children is a victim of child sexual abuse, that one in every five do not feel safe because of the fear of being sexually abused and that one in four families do not come forward to report child abuse.
Another article by Abhishek Angad talks about the disappointing figures regarding the conviction rate of those being tried under Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses (POCSO) Act. A report by the National Law School Bangalore, which analysed 667 judgments between 2013 and 2015, shed light on this phenomenon. It stated that alleged victims turned hostile in "67.5% cases, and testified against the accused in only 26.7% cases". Experts explained that once a POCSO case is filed, the long-winded proceedings give the accused ample time to try and pressure the victims or their families to backtrack on their complaints. The situation is even more complicated when the accused is a family member.
The reluctance of families to intervene and stand up in support of the child victim is repeatedly mentioned in many reports detailing child abuse. Our adherence to social norms - for example forcing kids to be unquestionably respectful to elders - and pushing them into social circles that they intuitively reject, could be a major reason for fostering suitable conditions for paedophiles.
In the not-so-recent past, when two allegations of sexual abuse of minors, the attitude of most locals in Siolim and Rivona was conniving and in support of the accused. The case slowly disappeared from the view of the press and died a hushed up death.
Children need to be made aware from a very early age about their body, about the sanctity of their private parts, the limits they must observe even with the closest of relatives or family friends and should be given clear explanations about differentiating the right touch from wrong. Such awareness training, that can start as early as the child begins toddling - requires patience and continues over a period of time. A greater awareness of the body followed up by a scientific and rational discussion of related subjects can curb child sexual abuse, help children identify predators, save them from falling into a vicious cycle of silent trauma.
Harrish Iyer, an extremely vocal and flamboyant LGBT activist, is extremely vocal about the sexual abuse he suffered for years, from a relative. His Facebook feed emphasises time and again for abuse survivors to have an outlet to talk about their experiences without guilt or judgement - and many of the people who confide into him are men still unable to find a voice to share their trauma. The discussion on sexual abuse mainly assumes that only girls, or women, are assaulted by men. However, we must need to factor in the fact that boys are equally susceptible to abuse, both from women and men as well. Patriarchal tendencies and a culture knee-deep in gender stereotypes often fails to acknowledge the glaring need to protect the mind, body and soul of young boys because they are equally, if not more, susceptible to sexual abuse.
It is important to reiterate that at a time when more and more infants, toddlers and school children are being sexually mauled and murdered. The rising instances of gory crimes should be a reason enough to start sexual sensitisation early on. Erasing the stigma, coyness and silence associated with such taboo subjects will make it easier for victims to report crimes and deal with their struggle.
The graph of child sexual abuse is steadily seeing an upward incline. As a country that touts the presence of the largest population of youth in the world, the rot of child abuse should be the foremost on the list of issues to be tackled. It is undeniable that when innocent, young minds are manipulated by pervert predators, it leaves life-long scars and needs years of counselling and support to eventually grow out of the trauma. If we do not proactively safeguard our children now, we might also be looking at a future generation that is not just traumatised, but full of fear and distrust in the institutions that were meant to protect them, but didn't.
An article published by BBC News, on December 1, 2017 highlights the magnitude and gravity of child safety issues in India. With its readership decidedly being out of India, such news reports also start debates and discussions on foreign shores and might (rightfully) end up creating a hugely negative image - just like in the Nirbhaya rape case. Titled ‘India sexual abuse: Four child victims every hour,' the article draws on data collated from various agencies.
An article published in a national daily in May 2017 talked about a survey conducted by a humanitarian aid organisation called World Vision India. The survey had a sample of 45,844 respondents in the 12- 18 age group, across 26 states in the country. The findings revealed that one in every two children is a victim of child sexual abuse, that one in every five do not feel safe because of the fear of being sexually abused and that one in four families do not come forward to report child abuse.
Another article by Abhishek Angad talks about the disappointing figures regarding the conviction rate of those being tried under Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses (POCSO) Act. A report by the National Law School Bangalore, which analysed 667 judgments between 2013 and 2015, shed light on this phenomenon. It stated that alleged victims turned hostile in "67.5% cases, and testified against the accused in only 26.7% cases". Experts explained that once a POCSO case is filed, the long-winded proceedings give the accused ample time to try and pressure the victims or their families to backtrack on their complaints. The situation is even more complicated when the accused is a family member.
The reluctance of families to intervene and stand up in support of the child victim is repeatedly mentioned in many reports detailing child abuse. Our adherence to social norms - for example forcing kids to be unquestionably respectful to elders - and pushing them into social circles that they intuitively reject, could be a major reason for fostering suitable conditions for paedophiles.
In the not-so-recent past, when two allegations of sexual abuse of minors, the attitude of most locals in Siolim and Rivona was conniving and in support of the accused. The case slowly disappeared from the view of the press and died a hushed up death.
Children need to be made aware from a very early age about their body, about the sanctity of their private parts, the limits they must observe even with the closest of relatives or family friends and should be given clear explanations about differentiating the right touch from wrong. Such awareness training, that can start as early as the child begins toddling - requires patience and continues over a period of time. A greater awareness of the body followed up by a scientific and rational discussion of related subjects can curb child sexual abuse, help children identify predators, save them from falling into a vicious cycle of silent trauma.
Harrish Iyer, an extremely vocal and flamboyant LGBT activist, is extremely vocal about the sexual abuse he suffered for years, from a relative. His Facebook feed emphasises time and again for abuse survivors to have an outlet to talk about their experiences without guilt or judgement - and many of the people who confide into him are men still unable to find a voice to share their trauma. The discussion on sexual abuse mainly assumes that only girls, or women, are assaulted by men. However, we must need to factor in the fact that boys are equally susceptible to abuse, both from women and men as well. Patriarchal tendencies and a culture knee-deep in gender stereotypes often fails to acknowledge the glaring need to protect the mind, body and soul of young boys because they are equally, if not more, susceptible to sexual abuse.
It is important to reiterate that at a time when more and more infants, toddlers and school children are being sexually mauled and murdered. The rising instances of gory crimes should be a reason enough to start sexual sensitisation early on. Erasing the stigma, coyness and silence associated with such taboo subjects will make it easier for victims to report crimes and deal with their struggle.
