addresses the sensitive subject of child sexual abuse in India, providing prevention, intervention and psychotherapeutic services to children and adults while advocating for systemic change to end child harm. GMSP began by funding Arpan’s Personal Safety Education programme in Mumbai and has since extended its support to include Arpan’s core costs in achieving its mission.
adults impacted through prevention,
children and adults
More than half of India’s children have faced some form of sexual abuse. Of those, 21 per cent were estimated to have suffered severe sexual abuse.
Despite its pervasiveness, child sexual abuse remains highly under-reported, hidden beneath a cultural blanket of shame associated with sexuality. Child sexual abuse is neither widely understood nor often examined. When children are not taught about boundaries, they may not be able to identify the difference between what is or is not appropriate contact.
While some physical scars may heal, the psychological effects of abuse seep well into adulthood and manifest in a range of problems from depression, anxiety, isolation and even suicide.
Arpan’s flagship programme is delivered in schools and provides children with core life skills including decision-making, problem-solving, resilience and empathy while raising awareness on interpersonal relationships and de-stigmatisation to recognise unsafe situations and seek help.
The programme works with parents and teachers to create a safe environment for children. Caregivers are taught to respond to disclosures sensitively and effectively. Arpan also provides long-term psychotherapeutic support to child and adult survivors of sexual abuse through its Mental Health Services programme.
Through its Training and Capacity Building initiative, Arpan has developed tailored resources for stakeholders and conducts training to ensure that child protection mechanisms are incorporated in their environments. Arpan’s advocacy work aims to bring about systemic change to combat the issue of child sexual abuse.