Child Sexual Abuse and Wellbeing Among LGBTQ + Individuals: The Role of Family in Healing

Abstract

The present study was undertaken to understand the prevalence of child sexual abuse and its association with the wellbeing of a sample of LGBTQ + individuals in India. A total of 206 respondents took part in the study. The WHO-5 wellbeing scale developed by the World Health Organization was used to assess the wellbeing of the respondents. The prevalence of child sexual abuse among the respondents was high (46.1 per cent). In general, the level of wellbeing of the respondents was found to be below average. Among those who had experienced child sexual abuse, the majority of the respondents were cisgender women. Cisgender women respondents were also more likely to have a much lower mean rank of wellbeing compared to the other groups and similarly, respondents who identified as lesbians were also found to have a lower level of wellbeing compared to respondents who identified themselves as bisexual, pansexual, and gay. Other associated factors have been discussed in the full paper. The role of family in supporting and helping the individuals heal, has also been discussed in detail. There is a need for families to be more empathetic toward the victims.