Author:
Sugata Mukhopadhyay
Background:
19% percent of the world's children live in
India, which constitutes 42 percent of India’s total population (430
million).
The government estimates that 40 percent of India's
children vulnerable to sexual abuse, trafficking, homelessness, forced labor, drug abuse, and crime, so needs
protection.
Methods:
The
abstract aims to do a situation analysis of child sexual abuse in India by
collecting relevant information including case-studies through net-surfing,
interviewing local NGOs working to protect children and interacting with some
abused children.
Results:
The ‘Study on Child Abuse: India
2007’ of Govt. of India sampled 12447 children, 2324 young adults and 2449
stakeholders across 13 states with the following key findings: 53.22% of children reported sexual abuse.
Among them 52.94% boys and 47.06% girls. Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar and Delhi reported highest percentage and incidence
of sexual abuse. 21.90% of children faced severe forms of sexual abuse, 5.69% sexually
assaulted and 50.76% reported other forms of sexual abuse. Children on street,
at work and in institutional care reported the highest incidence of sexual
assault. 50% of abusers were known to the child or are in a position of trust
and responsibility. 94% children had not reported to anyone.
According to studies conducted by Civil Society Organization,
·
9000 children estimated to go missing annually
·
500,000 children estimated to be forced into sex trade annually
·
Children form 40% of total commercial sex workers’ population
·
80% of these children found in the five metros – Delhi, Mumbai,
Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore
·
71% illiterate.
Conclusion: Recent rapid rise of
child abuse cases across the country is the outcome of escalating degradation
of social values and growing desperateness to make mockery of law and
administration. The crisis should be responded with large scale advocacy &
social awareness to restore children’s rights and exemplary judicial decisions
against abusers.
(Selected for poster presentation in SVRI Forum 2013 (14 - 17th Oct'13, Bangkok, Thailand)
