Chennai has found that as many as 42 per cent of school-going children are victims of forced sexual abuse. And in most of the cases, the perpetrators are either close relatives or family members.

According to Chennai-based NGO Tulir, which released the survey in Delhi on Thursday, the 42 per cent figure could be a suggestion of the prevalence of sexual abuse in the country. The magnitude of the problem can be gauged from the fact that 38 per cent of the population is less than 18 years of age.

The study was conducted between September 2005 and January 2006 in 24 schools in Chennai and 2,211 children studying in Class XI were interviewed. It found that contrary to popular belief, boys (48 per cent) were more sexually abused than girls (39 per cent). “There is a myth that boys are not sexually abused and it is reflected in parental, familial, community and professional attitudes. The study refutes this myth,” the report says.

Not only is the number of abused boys more, they are also the victims of the worst forms of sexual abuse. As many as 21 per cent of boys who were abused suffered from trauma resulting from severe form of abuse. In comparison, only 11 per cent girls were severely abused. “This is because most believe that boys are more safe than girls,” the study states.

The study found that over 75 per cent of offenders were friends or close family acquaintances. In only eight per cent of cases were the abusers complete strangers.

For most children, abuse takes place between 11 and 15 years of age. At that age, many of them don’t have the courage to speak about the wrong done to them. The few who do are asked to conceal the trauma for the sake of the family’s honour. “Only a few cases are reported,” the report says.

The study found that most cases of abuse against children came from the higher income group.

Chetan Chauhan
Hindustan Times, New Delhi 
March 30, 2006

TGF comment:  The abuse of individuals who are perceived as being too weak or too afraid to fight back or report the abuse, is well known. Sadly, it occurs all over the world.

This report from the Hindustan Times comes as a shock. Not to say that Child Abuse could not occur in Chennai (formerly Madras) but this figure "42% of children reportedly being abused" is troubling.

To be perfectly honest, before we at TGF believe the conclusions arrived at, we'd have to see the study ourselves. We'd like to look at the study design and methods of analysis.

As far as this Hindustan Times report is concerned, TGF would be interested in knowing HOW the NGO Tulir projected from the Chennai data to the prevalence of sexual abuse in India

Wonder what exactly the authors of the study mean by 'prevalence'.

What is significantly lacking in this Hindustan Times report is mention of any action that may (or may not) have been taken against the alleged perpetrators, as also measures taken to prevent the recurrence of this horrible abuse..

Mr. Chauhan may also wish to review his report. It gets very muddled in the middle, and concentrates more on the observation that a larger number of Boys (in the study group) were abused  than girls, rather than the fact that abuse is abuse and that these children need to be protected. He also needs to ask himself what he means by the sentence " children are victims of forced sexual abuse " . Is there is something called the volunteer sexual abuse of children?

What is surprising too, is the fact that this study and its conclusions received very little attention in the other sections of the Indian Press.  As far as the Goa Press is concerned, not a single leaf from that tree appears to have moved. Not much of a surprise in that, Is there?.

TGF condemns the abuse of even ONE solitary child. That does not take away the responsibility of  authors to conduct  their studies scientifically, and for journalists to report their findings accurately. A poorly designed, analysed and reported study might in fact be counterproductive to the very purpose of the study i.e. to expose the problem and its perpetrators, and protect the innocent.

The full text of the article can presently be found at :

http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/181_1663342,0008.htm?headline=42%~Chennai~kids~are~sexually~abused

TGF
April 1, 2006

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