Every rising sun newspapers are filled with reports of little children as young as 4-5 years of age being sexually abused and raped, and more than 8-months pregnancy of merely 10-year-old rape survivor shook the very conscience of the nation. However, it’s just the tip of the iceberg.
The Police departments of the tricity, Chandigarh, Panchkula and Mohali, have an unbelievable 418 registered cases under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act from January 2014 till date. And the city beautiful, Chandigarh, tops the list with 221 cases.
This should be noted that most of the cases of sexual abuse go unreported for the stigma involved in it against the rape victim.
SOCIAL SCIENTISTS TRY TO UNRAVEL THE REASONS
In most of the cases of sexual abuse, it has been found that the exploiter is close relative or someone known to the families. The experts opine that this makes the victims more vulnerable as disbelief and misjudgment are the instant reaction and they dismiss the signs if they see any.
Rajesh Gill, PU professor at sociology department:
“Sex education for children is a must. Children should be taught from an early age about friendly and unfriendly touch of their relatives and friends. Parents should also build confidence in their wards so that they don’t fear to share anything with them,” said Rajesh Gill, PU professor at sociology department. She also added, “If a child reports anything to their parents, it should be immediately dealt with the people concerned. Don’t feel shy to report. In maximum cases, families do not report such matters to because of social stigma.”
Pam Rajput, a woman rights activist
“To protect our children from sexual abuse and get exploited school and parents will have to come forward. Parents and school teachers should build their confidence so that they do not hesitate to share about any exploitation by people known to them,” said Pam Rajput, a woman rights activist.
Another reason behind the rise in such cases in the society is children get sex education from wrong people like peer groups, friends and Internet at an early stage. If they get the education from their mother, doctors they would never be victimized. Children should be sensitized about these issues by schools and family first, experts said.
Source: Times of India
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