53% of Indian children face sexual abuse, says study
A disturbing new study on child abuse, carried out by the government and civil society organisations, puts Assam at the top of the list of states where children face sexual abuse, followed closely by Andhra Pradesh and Delhi
A landmark study by the Indian government along with two civil society organisations – “Prayas and Save the Children” and backed by the UNICEF admitted that two-thirds of children in India are physically abused while more than half have faced some form of sexual abuse.
The first ever national-level study by the Ministry of Women and Child Development covered 13 of India’s 29 states with a sample size of 12,447 children in the 5-12 age-group, and 2,324 young adults. The survey didn’t have a margin of error.
The survey divided abuse into three categories: physical, sexual and emotional abuse. Some disturbing data from the survey:
Over 50% of children have experienced physical abuse, which includes slapping and corporal punishment. 88.6% of these children face physical abuse from their parents; 45.68% of them are boys.
Nearly 65% of schoolchildren reported being beaten by their teachers, mostly in government schools.
A shocking 53.22% of children have faced sexual abuse. The report says that most children do not report the matter to anyone. Half of the cases of sexual abuse (50%) were committed by people known to the child or in a position of trust and responsibility.
Every second child reported emotional abuse, in an equal number of girls and boys.
While 41.17% of children in the 5-12 age-group complained of being forcibly kissed, the figure came down to 25.73% in the 13-14 age-group. Similarly, around 25.86% of teenagers reported being forced to exhibit their private parts; the relevant figure for those below 12 was 35.86%.
Around 37.25% of children in the younger age-group, and 27.61% of teenagers, were sexually abused during travel. As much as 41.33% of children in the 5-12 age-group and 25.29% in the 13-14 age-group reported abuse during marriages and other family ceremonies.
What’s worse, the report says, “around 70% of abused children have never reported the matter to anyone”.
While Assam (86.26%) topped the list of states where children faced sexual abuse, Andhra Pradesh and Delhi followed closely at 72.83% and 72.26% respectively. Rajasthan reported the lowest complaints -- 29.36%.
Likewise, the percentage of sexually abused young adults (13-14 age-group) is high in Assam, at 77.5%, followed by Delhi at 69.11%. Goa reported the least complaints -- 23.01%. Kerala had the lowest incidence of child abuse.
Child rights activists have welcomed the study, saying it was positive that the government was waking up to the reality. “Homes, schools and neighbourhoods are not safe for our children as most people don’t even believe that hitting or sexually abusing a child is a serious crime,” says Kailash Sathyarthi of Bachpan Bachao Andolan (Save Childhood Movement).
According to activists, existing laws must be strengthened and mindsets changed. Terming the report “significant” because it is the first ever data on child abuse, Women and Child Development Minister Renuka Chowdhury said that child abuse is shrouded in secrecy and that “there is a conspiracy of silence around the entire subject”.
The ministry is working on a new law to protect children’s rights by clearly specifying offences against children and stiffening punishments, Chowdhury added. Last year, the Indian government banned the employment of children under 14 years as domestic servants or in hotels, restaurants and teashops because these children are often subjected to physical violence, mental trauma and sexual abuse.
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