Child Sexual Abuse is one of the worst things that could happen to an individual. Such an incident inflicts inexplicable trauma and pain on the victim and makes him/her feel worthless, guilty and leads to depression and other developmental problems.
It is commonly believed that such things happen only in families of lower economic strata where frustrated parents and older members of the family inflict pain and torture on children. But a recent research conducted by Pune-based NGO Alochana has discovered that this belief is not true. Contrary to popular perception, in India child sexual abuse is more common among middle and higher income families than in the lower social strata.
Under an child sexual abuse awareness programme known as Muskan, Alochana discovered this horrifying statistic. Speaking to the media Bharti Kotwal, coordinator of Muskan, said,
We found that the incidence of child sexual abuse is far higher in middle and higher income group families, but the victims and families are forced to keep quiet due to immense social pressure and gender inequality. Nobody will come forward and to lodge complaint, so cases hardly get reported and perpetrators mostly get away scot free.
Alochana’s findings are part of growing awareness about increasing incidences of child sexual abuse in urban areas across the country, despite the fact that stringent legislations have been passed to prevent such incidents. Earlier this year (April) the ministry of women and child development conducted a survey and released an exhaustive report on Child Sexual Abuse across the country.
The results of the survey conducted among 12,447 child respondents from across the country revealed that a whopping 53.22 percent of them acknowledged having been sexually abused one or more times. Most children reported that sexual abuse in one or more forms started at the age of five, gained momentum at around 10 years and became unbearable at about 12-15 years and either declined or stopped abruptly on attainment of puberty.
Alochana volunteeers and activists say that it is important that parents should speak to children, spend time with them and make them comfortable and trusted, only then will youngsters speak about the trauma they experienced. And parents should believe the child’s version of their abusive experience and take necessary action.
Sharmila Raje, a counsellor at Muskan, said,
The first reaction of the parent is crucial. When the child reveals such happenings, the parent should believe the child completely and not joke or ridcule the child. The next step is to take professional help and confront the perpetrator to ensure that he or she stops the act immediately.
Once the child is made to feel secure he/ she should be counselled and slowly borught back to normal and legal action taken against the perpetrators. Counsellors say it is not always strangers who perpetrate crimes against children. It is often close relatives who are perpetrators of such crimes, parents, older siblings, uncles, neighbours, grandparents etc are common suspects. Parents should also be watchful about close family friends and neighbours who try to spend a lot of time with children. Child sexual abuse can also be present in the form of incest in families.
Researches have found that it is a sense of superiority and power that makes people indulge in such behaviour and abuse small children. Ranjana Gaikwad, an official of Maharashtra state women and child development ministry revealed,
Two years ago we conducted a study about child sexual abuse in a bid to discover why the peretrators do it. We interviewed several perpetrators and asked them why they committed such crimes on innocent children. The replies were shocking, most of them said it gave them the feeling of being powerful.
Counsellors and volunteers of Alochana working on the Muskan project, feel that both boys and girls can be victims of child sexual abuse. The report by the ministry of women and child development confirms this opinion and reveals that 52.94 percent of all child sexual abuse victims were boys and 47.06 percent were girls.
Explaining that prevention of child sexual abuse is the best way to keep children safe and happy,Priya Alam, a counsellor at Alochana said,
The key to preventing child sexual abuse is not to becoming a paranoid parent and suspect everybody. The best way to protect children is by maintaining good communication with them and educating them about good and bad touch and the proper and improper places where someone can touch them.
But in a highly competitive, materialistic society, where both parents go out to work leaving children at the care of creches, ayahs and pre-schools it is more difficult than easy to do this. It is important that parents set aside time for children and make them feel comfortable so that at the first sign of discomfort with an individual they can take action and ensure safety of children.
