Child sexual abuse: Issues & concerns.

Abstract

The child sexual abuse is an under-reported offence in India, which has reached epidemic proportion. A recent study on prevalence of sexual abuse among adolescents in Kerala, reported that 36 per cent of boys and 35 per cent of girls had experienced sexual abuse at some point of time1. A similar study conducted by the Government of India in 17,220 children and adolescents to estimate the burden of sexual abuse revealed shocking results and showed that every second child in the country was sexually abused; among them, 52.94 per cent were boys and 47.06 per cent were girls. Highest sexual abuse was reported in Assam (57.27%) followed by Delhi (41%), Andhra Pradesh (33.87%) and Bihar (33.27%)2. Sexual abuse and sex trafficking remain highly prevalent and are among the serious problems in India. In the last two decades, an increase in the prevalence of sexually transmitted diseases has been shown in children3. Children who are victims of sexual abuse often know the perpetrator in some way4. Hence, the problem of child sexual abuse needs to be addressed through less ambiguous and more stringent punishment. The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 20125,6,7 was formulated to effectively address the heinous crimes of sexual abuse and sexual exploitation of children. Legal provisions were made through implementation of the Criminal Law (amendment) Act, 20138 which amended the Indian Penal Code, the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, The Indian Evidence Act, 1972, and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012. This Criminal Law (Amendment) Act 2013, also dictates punishment on stalking, voyeurism, disrobing, trafficking and acid attack.