Silence.. it is often the only response left in a child after a horrific trauma and a scar is forever left in him. Child sexual abuse, a topic seldom discussed at home and if a child does tell his/her parents about the incident which is tearing his/her soul.. often parents fail to believe in them. 53% of our population have faced child sexual abuse atleast once in their childhood, i.e. one in every two child is a victim.

This trauma, this shame, this crime forever stays with them and haunts them in their adult life. Ironically, often it is those people who are trusted by the family, their close friends are the ones who carry out the abuse. Abuse here is rape, forcibly kissing, touching of private parts, showcase of obscene images, videos.

Age is no bar for these pedophiliacs (Pedophiliacs are those people who engage in child sexual abuse, who get sexual pleasure from a child). Whether you’re a mere 2 year old or a 10 year old child, child sexual abuse takes place often within one’s own house, amidst your loved ones.  Stats show that one just girls, but also boys are a victim in this crime.

Interestingly, when the stats are so high, and one in every two child is a victim, in India there is no law against this heinous crime. Our dear politicians are so busy in trivial matters such as cartoons of 1960’s that such an important matter is still in debates in Lok Sabha.

Counselors and psychologists say that these victims often face double victimization, wherein the society looks down upon them, and often they are left in their cocoon crying out their pain in silence. Children often fail to report this to their parents as they feel that their parents will not listen and believe them. Silence becomes a form of self-preservation for a child, as the thought that their parents will not believe them is more traumatic then rape itself. Which is true at as well to an extend- when in India parents fail to talk openly about sex with their kids, children do not know the right words to explain their situation. Also, once confronted with the truth, adults often fail to act effectively due to the stigma attached to it by the society.

The main crux of the matter is that such a situation does occur in households, irrespective of class or religion. Children are vulnerable and are often exploited.  After an extensive research, Dr Rajat Mitra, Child Psychologists says that most of the sex offenders show no remorse or guilt regarding the incident and they often believe that the child actually enjoy the rape. These sex offenders are no different from you and me- they look the same and in fact are very charming in their nature.

1098 is the number of child line, a helpline number for child sexual abuse. This ia s 24 hour service, wherein any child who feels that they are the victims of are in some danger, they can contact this center through this number, and someone from the center will come to visit them within an hour. this service and helpline number is available in many cities and towns as well.

However, one important aspect which was left untouched during the showcase of Aamir Khan’s Satyamev Jayate was the raw fact that even father’s are often responsible for child sexual abuse. Sadly, there are many stories wherein a father is also a sex offender and commits rape or sexual abuse or advances towards their own children.

We need to acknowledge our children and need to believe in them when they tell us about these things. We need to talk to them about sexual abuse and need to gain their confidence. Child sexual abuse is a crime against humanity, it can impair one’s life, lead them in the world of drugs and alcohol to subdue the pain, can make them cold and vulnerable towards formation of future relationships. Child sexual crime is a very serious issue and we need to hold hands and fight against it.

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