Preventing and healing child sexual abuse
Child Sexual Abuse (CSA) is any behaviour committed by an older or more powerful person on a younger or more vulnerable person for his or her sexual gratification. The abuser is often an adult, but can be an older or more powerful child as well. The adult is usually someone in a position of authority or trust. Child Sexual Abuse is a violation not only of the child’s body, but also of the child’s trust.
A study was conducted by the Ministry of Women and Child Development in 2007 on 12’447 children, hailing from all strata of society. 53.22% of the children reported having faced sexual abuse and 21.90% reported having faced severe forms of sexual abuse.
Boys were equally at risk as girls.
90% of the abusers were either known to the children or in a position of trust and responsibility.
Boys were equally at risk as girls.
90% of the abusers were either known to the children or in a position of trust and responsibility.
Yes – boys are as susceptible to CSA as girls.
- There are many reasons why children do not disclose abuse as soon as it happens.
- A child may not recognise that what is happening is abuse – especially if the abuser has groomed them, and they are unable to differentiate between safe and unsafe touch.
- Children may not know what to say to an adult – either because they do not have the language to communicate what has happened, or because they are afraid the adult will not believe them (especially if the abuser is a member of the family).
- Sometimes a child may feel ashamed and embarrassed by what has happened and so not disclose abuse.
- A child may be afraid of being blamed or being told what happened was their fault.
Children may be afraid of losing the love of their parents or even the love of the abuser (if the person is close to them). - A child may be afraid of the abuser’s threat that they will harm the child or the family if they tell someone.
An environment that is supportive and empathetic is one of the most important factors that make children disclose abuse. Other factors include being afraid that someone else they are close to is likely to be abused, being unable to bear the pain and trauma any longer and recognizing that what is happening to them is abuse and is wrong.
CSA can have an impact on a child in various ways – physically, psychologically, socially and on their future sexual behaviour. The impact may be short term, or long term.
Physical impacts: Pregnancy, sexually transmitted illnesses, injuries to the genital or anal areas, recurrent urinary infection, and pain while passing motion, psychosomatic illnesses.
Psychological impacts: Fear of people, nightmares, appetite and sleep disturbances, anxiety, clinging behaviour, regressive behaviours like thumb sucking, bedwetting or soiling.
Social impact: Withdrawing from people, trying to please people always, become a “model child”, aggression and hostility, and drastic change in academic performance.
Sexual behaviour: Wearing too many or too few clothes, age inappropriate sexual behaviour, vocabulary and knowledge, excessive masturbation and sexual anxieties.
Physical impacts: Pregnancy, sexually transmitted illnesses, injuries to the genital or anal areas, recurrent urinary infection, and pain while passing motion, psychosomatic illnesses.
Psychological impacts: Fear of people, nightmares, appetite and sleep disturbances, anxiety, clinging behaviour, regressive behaviours like thumb sucking, bedwetting or soiling.
Social impact: Withdrawing from people, trying to please people always, become a “model child”, aggression and hostility, and drastic change in academic performance.
Sexual behaviour: Wearing too many or too few clothes, age inappropriate sexual behaviour, vocabulary and knowledge, excessive masturbation and sexual anxieties.
- The long-term impacts include:
- Inability to form intimate relationships with others
- Low self-esteem, guilt, shame
- Social withdrawal
- Sexually promiscuous behaviour
- Substance abuse
- Risk taking behaviour
- Deliberate self-harm
A child can overcome the trauma of abuse with support and help from trained professionals (if necessary).
People whom the child trusts must:
believe the child
be non-judgmental
allow the child to express their feelings
A child who has experienced abuse can learn to move from being a victim to being a survivor, and then learn to thrive. This can happen if the family is supportive, and the child gets professional therapy to deal with the trauma of abuse.
Some adults sexually abuse a child to feel the power and control they do not feel in their relationships with other adults. Sometimes, adults who have intimate sexual relationships with other adults may sexually abuse children in moments of unusual stress, such as after the loss a job or during a divorce. Some adults are primarily sexually attracted to children, and some never act on those feelings. Some adults act impulsively when presented with an unexpected opportunity to sexually abuse a child. Other people, particularly youths with high social status or with delayed social or emotional development, may not even fully understand the harmful impact of their actions.
Paedophiles are people who are sexually attracted to children, and prefer to have sex only with children. They are usually men. It is important to remember that not all paedophiles act on their desires – most of them know that sex with a child is illegal; many of them do not want to hurt children.
Offenders need a variety of treatment and corrective interventions. These include learning how to make the change in their own behavioural cycle of abuse, learning empathy and positive social skills.
The younger the offender, the easier it is to help them change.
POCSO is the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act. It came into effect in November 2012.
The salient features of this Act are:
It is gender neutral
It is child friendly
It makes the reporting and the recording of abuse mandatory
It lists all known types of sexual offences towards children
It provides for protection of children during the judicial process
Yes. Under Section 19 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012, it is mandatory to report sexual abuse. Not doing so entails punishment
Yes. If the perpetrator applies for bail, the granting of bail can be decided by the court.
Section 23 of The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012, prohibits the media from disclosing the identity of the child. This includes name, address, photograph, family details, school, neighbourhood, or any other particulars which may lead to disclosure of identity of the child.
You can do several things:
Believe the child
Tell them what happened was not their fault
Encourage the child to talk about their experience
Do not make suggestions, or ask leading questions
Do not ask “why” questions; do not probe unnecessarily
Be honest with the child – do not say that this will remain a secret between the two of you; explain to the child that some of the adults in their lives will need to know what has happened
Offer your help to the family for filing the First Information Report (FIR), legal assistance, identifying a therapist for the child and the family
Keep the best interest of the child in mind always – but do not go against the laws of the country
Personal safety education is an ongoing process of teaching children that their body is special and that they have the right to feel safe and protected.
Children need to know the names of private body parts, learn the personal safety rules, know how to recognise safe and unsafe touch, and know what to do if a person abuses or tries to abuse them.
Parents and teachers are the best people to give personal safety education.
Finally, personal safety education has to be given in a manner that is appropriate to the child’s age.
According to Indian law, any boy or girl below the age of 18 years old is a child.
In India, the laws governing children include:
The Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 (referred to as the JJ Act, 2015)
The JJ Act, 2015, consolidates and amends the laws relating to children alleged and found to be in conflict with law and children in need of care and protection. The Act caters to the basic needs of children through sections on proper care, protection, development, treatment and social re-integration. It adopts a child-friendly approach in the adjudication and disposal of matters for the best interests of children.
The Right to Education Act, 2009
Right to Education – MHRD
The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, known as the Right to Education Act (RTE), describes the modalities of the importance of free and compulsory education for children between 6 and 14 years old in India, under Article 21A of the Indian Constitution. India became one of 135 countries to make education a fundamental right of every child when the act came into force on 1 April 2010.
Child Labor (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986
Child Labor (Prohibition and Regulation) Act
This Act prohibits the engagement of children in certain employments and regulates the conditions of work for children in certain other employments. Under this Act, a child is a person who has not completed fourteen years of age.
Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012
Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012
The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO Act), 2012, effectively addresses the sexual abuse and sexual exploitation of children.
The Act defines a “child” as any person below eighteen years old. The salient features of the POCSO act are:
The Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 (referred to as the JJ Act, 2015)
The JJ Act, 2015, consolidates and amends the laws relating to children alleged and found to be in conflict with law and children in need of care and protection. The Act caters to the basic needs of children through sections on proper care, protection, development, treatment and social re-integration. It adopts a child-friendly approach in the adjudication and disposal of matters for the best interests of children.
The Right to Education Act, 2009
Right to Education – MHRD
The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, known as the Right to Education Act (RTE), describes the modalities of the importance of free and compulsory education for children between 6 and 14 years old in India, under Article 21A of the Indian Constitution. India became one of 135 countries to make education a fundamental right of every child when the act came into force on 1 April 2010.
Child Labor (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986
Child Labor (Prohibition and Regulation) Act
This Act prohibits the engagement of children in certain employments and regulates the conditions of work for children in certain other employments. Under this Act, a child is a person who has not completed fourteen years of age.
Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012
Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012
The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO Act), 2012, effectively addresses the sexual abuse and sexual exploitation of children.
The Act defines a “child” as any person below eighteen years old. The salient features of the POCSO act are:
- 1. It is gender neutral.
- 2. It makes both the reporting and the recording of abuse mandatory.
- 3. It lists all known types of sexual offences towards minors. It makes a sexual assault “aggravated” under certain circumstances, such as when the abuse is committed by a person in a position of trust or authority, or when the abused child is below 12 years old.
- 4. It provides for the protection of minors during the entire judicial process.
Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006
The Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006
This Act prohibits the solemnization of child marriages and also covers matters connected to child marriage. In this Act, “child” means a person who, if a male, has not completed twenty-one years old, and if a female, has not completed eighteen years old.
Young Persons (Harmful Publications) Act, 1956
Young Persons (Harmful Publications) Act, 1956
According to this Act, a young person is a person below 20 years old. The Act prevents the dissemination of certain publications that would harm young persons – by inciting or encouraging them to commit offences or acts of violence or cruelty.
India has ratified, and is a signatory to, the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, 1989
Convention on the Rights of the Child - ohchr
In September 1995, India adopted the Beijing Declaration on South-South Cooperation for Child Rights in the Asia Pacific Region
Beijing Declaration
The Child Welfare Committee (CWC) is a body formed under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 and deals with matters related to children in need of care and protection.
The Committee consists of a chairperson and four members; it has the powers of a magistrate. The Committee is the final authority for dealing with cases involving the care, protection, treatment, development and rehabilitation of children. It also provides for their basic needs and protects the rights of children.
The CWC keeps all matters related to children confidential. The Committee is made up of people who work with children on a regular basis, and they are people you can trust. The CWC always makes sure that – as far as possible – the child’s decision is respected.
How do you get in touch with the CWC in your district?
There are several ways of doing this:
Contact your nearest police station or CHILDLINE and ask for the contact number of the Chairperson or a Member of the CWC.
Go to www.trackthemissingchild.gov.in, go to the Resource Directory on the right side of the page and click on the Child Welfare Committee link from the drop down menu.
The Committee consists of a chairperson and four members; it has the powers of a magistrate. The Committee is the final authority for dealing with cases involving the care, protection, treatment, development and rehabilitation of children. It also provides for their basic needs and protects the rights of children.
The CWC keeps all matters related to children confidential. The Committee is made up of people who work with children on a regular basis, and they are people you can trust. The CWC always makes sure that – as far as possible – the child’s decision is respected.
How do you get in touch with the CWC in your district?
There are several ways of doing this:
Contact your nearest police station or CHILDLINE and ask for the contact number of the Chairperson or a Member of the CWC.
Go to www.trackthemissingchild.gov.in, go to the Resource Directory on the right side of the page and click on the Child Welfare Committee link from the drop down menu.
The Juvenile Justice Board (JJB) is a body formed under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015. The JJB deals with matters related to children in conflict with the law.
The Board consists of the Metropolitan Magistrate or a Judicial Magistrate of First Class (not being Chief Metropolitan Magistrate or Chief Judicial Magistrate) with at least three years’ experience, plus two social workers, at least one of whom one will be a woman.
Under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015, each district in the country must have a Special Juvenile Police Unit (SJPU). The SJPU is the police force unit designated for handling juveniles at district level. Each SJPU is headed by an officer not below the rank of Police Inspector and designated as the Senior Child Welfare Officer (Sr.CWO).
1098 Section of Childline India Foundation Website
Childline India Foundation is a non-government organization (NGO) that operates a telephone helpline called CHILDLINE, for children in distress all over the country.
1098 is India's first 24-hour; toll-free, telephone outreach service for children.
CHILDLINE operates in 366 cities or districts in 34 states or union territories across India. As at March 2015, CHILDLINE had handled a total of 36 million calls.
Childline India Foundation is a non-government organization (NGO) that operates a telephone helpline called CHILDLINE, for children in distress all over the country.
1098 is India's first 24-hour; toll-free, telephone outreach service for children.
CHILDLINE operates in 366 cities or districts in 34 states or union territories across India. As at March 2015, CHILDLINE had handled a total of 36 million calls.
Under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015, a Children’s Home is a facility recognised under this Act for providing care and protection to children who are in need of such a service. A Children’s Home can be established or maintained by the State Government, either by itself, or through a voluntary or non-governmental organization.