Understanding The Background Of Child Sexual Abuse. In today’s society child sexual abuse laws in India have been enacted as part of the child protection policies of India. The Parliament of India passed the ‘Protection of Children Against Sexual Offences Bill, 2011’ regarding child sexual abuse.
The rules formulated by the government in accordance with the law have also been notified on November 2012 and the law has become ready for implementation. There have been many calls for more stringent laws.
India has one of the largest populations of children in the world – Census data from 2011 shows that India has a population of 472 million children below the age of eighteen. Protection of children by the state is guaranteed to Indian citizens by an expansive reading of Article 21 of the Indian constitution and also mandated given India’s status as a signatory to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.
The majority of perpetrators are someone the child or family knows. As many as 93% of victims under the age of 18 know the abuser. A perpetrator does not have to be an adult to harm a child. They can have any relationship to the child including an older sibling or playmate, family member, a teacher, a coach or instructor, a caretaker, or the parent of another child.
Child sexual abuse is the result of abusive behavior that takes advantage of a child’s vulnerability and is in no way related to the sexual orientation of the abusive person.
When sexual abuse goes unreported and children are not given protective and therapeutic assistance they need, they are further left to suffer in silence. Today child maltreatment in India is a pervasive problem that often results in immediate negative results on children followed by the potential for numerous problems throughout the lifespan.
Child sexual abuse isn’t always easy to spot. The perpetrator could be someone you’ve known a long time or trust, which may make it even harder to notice. Some of the following warning signs are:
Physical Signs:
- Bleeding, bruises, or swelling in the genital area
- Bloody, torn, or stained underclothes
- Difficulty walking or sitting
- Frequent urinary or yeast infections
- Pain, itching, or burning in the genital area
Behavioral Signs:
- Changes in hygiene, such as refusing to bathe or bathing excessively
- Develops phobias
- Exhibits signs of depression or post-traumatic stress disorder
- Has trouble in school, such as absences or drops in grades
- Nightmares or bed-wetting
- Overly protective and concerned for siblings, or assumes a caretaker role
- Returns to regressive behaviors, such as thumb sucking
- Runs away from home or school
- Shrinks away or seems threatened by physical contact
Today each and every parent should have a good friendly relation with their children, they should teach and make their children about such acts, or circumstances. Today awareness of child sexual abuse which is given by the school, different training campaigns and other social activities to make children and their parents aware of the act of Child Sexual Abuse is the most important phase of our society to assure that no child should be sexually assaulted from today onwards, in which an organization in Delhi named Our Voix, is playing a vital role to make awareness by conducting the workshop, different initiatives and providing advocacy to the person in need in our society.