Booklets for School Children to Generate

Awareness on Child Sexual Abuse (CSA)

(Set of 8 Booklets)

National Institute of Public Cooperation and Child Development

5, Siri Institutional Area, Hauz Khas, New Delhi

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 Contents

1. Understanding Child Sexual Abuse

2. Facts and Figures on Child Sexual Abuse
3. Frequently Asked Questions about CSA
4. Legal Provisions dealing with Child Sexual Abuse in India
5. Empowering Children to Protect Themselves
6. Role of Stakeholders in addressing Child Sexual Abuse
7. Questions to Practice Decision-making
8. Myths and Facts on Child Sexual Abuse

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Booklet I: Understanding Child Sexual Abuse

The definition of Child Sexual Abuse formulated by the 1999 WHO Consultation on Child
Abuse Prevention (62) which stated that: “Child sexual abuse is the involvement of a child in
sexual activity that he or she does not fully comprehend, is unable to give informed consent to,
or for which the child is not developmentally prepared and cannot give consent, or that violates
the laws or social taboos of society.

Child Sexual Abuse (CSA) is a form of child abuse in which an adult or older adolescent who is in a
relationship of responsibility, trust or power, uses a child for sexual stimulation.

Features that characterize Child Sexual Abuse include:

1. Rare physical force/violence.

2. In most of the cases, the perpetrator is a known and trusted caregiver.

3. Child sexual abuse often occurs over many weeks or even years.

4. Threats, bribes, force, misrepresentation and other forms of coercion could be used to
trap the child.
5. Perpetrators usually engage the child in gradual process of sexualizing the relationship
over time (i.e., grooming).

Child Sexual Abuse includes:

I. Severe forms
 Assault, including rape and sodomy
 Touching or fondling a child
 Forcing a child to exhibit his/her private body parts
 Photographing a child in nude

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 II. Behavioural forms
 Touching behavior
 Non-touching behaviours

III. Other forms

 Forcefully kissing
 Sexual advances towards a child during travel
 Exhibitionism—exhibiting before a child
 Exposing a child to pornographic materials

Who could be the abuser?

1. Most of the times, it is people whom we know and care about, both in reported and un-
reported cases
2. An older or more knowledgeable child

3. An adult (stranger, sibling, parent, or caretaker)

4. A known person from immediate circle

5. A direct family member

6. A relative, neighbour, member of household or a stranger

An abuser may use:

1. force

2. tricks

3. bribes

4. threats or pressure

Shocking Facts

Child sexual abuse is surrounded by secrecy as the child might be:

 Frightened of the consequences if they disclose the abuse.

 Reluctance of adults to openly discuss sexual matters with children.

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  History of being abused as a child, record of sexual offence, and alcoholism are risk
factors to be an abuser.
 A large number of children (40.4%) are abused /assaulted in the offender’s house.
 The most vulnerable age is between 3-7 years and then between 11-15 years.
 In 35% of the cases, the child was sexually assaulted or abused in public places like
urinals, buses, local trains, etc., unfortunately only serious cases were reported to the
police and more than 50% of the accused arrested have been granted bail.
Source: <http://www.mightylaws.in/672/child-sexual-abuse-india>

CSA, though considered a taboo, happens to be a very serious problem that demands attention
and remedial measures especially for the silence that surrounds the offence.

It is important to know that physical and sexual abuse often coexists. Identification of child with
sexual abuse is difficult as there is no exclusive presentation of child with sexual abuse. A
symptomatic diagnosis can only be made and the symptoms may include:

 Dullness, sadness, joyless, may not play with toys, inability to obey rules, no emotional
bond with parents, feeling miserable or frightened.

Other indicators of having been sexually abused include:

 Bed-wetting (not be confused with sleep disorder)

 Continuous loose motions or passing stools in bed
 Hysterical reactions
 Temper tantrums, aggressive behaviour
 Depression, anxiety, withdrawal
 Deep sense of isolation
 Avoiding certain adults
 Not concentering in school
 Use of sexual words
 Running away from home
 Pregnancy
 Committing suicide

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Non-sexual indicators of sexual abuse among older children include:

 Unexplained eating disturbances

 Running away behavior
 Substance abuse
 Self-destructive behaviour
 Suicidal gestures
 Criminal activity

Knowing about Abuse

It is very difficult to detect abuse among children as they tend to hide it due to various reasons.
An adult may come to know the occurrence of sexual abuse through the following:

1. Disclosure by the child;

2. Parents or primary care-givers might not be the first one to know about the abuse;

3. Others may be a teacher or a friend whom the child trusts;

4. Children might take an indefinite period of time to tell the truth;

5. Some children are too young to understand that whatever happened with them was wrong
and may not know to tell;
6. Children with special needs may also not be able to communicate;

7. Sometimes they tell but elders at times ignore or fail to understand them;

8. One may even know accidently through:

 Things you see or hear during play;

 Changes in his/her behaviour;
 Overhearing something s/he tells a friend; or
 Questions /comments that express specific fears or worries.
9. Youth are more likely to purposefully disclose by talking about the abuse or by asking
for help.

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Some of the reasons for hiding a sexual abuse could be:
1. Threat by perpetrator

2. Fear of being rejected either by family or closed ones or other negative reactions.

3. Fear of being treated differently or stigmatized.

4. Feelings of anger, betrayal or deep sadness due to breach of trust by close ones.

5. Loyalty towards abuser because he loves and cares for the abuser.
6. Feels guilty due to attention received or accepted presents/treats from the alleged
offender.
7. Feel guilty because they did not try to stop the abuse after it first occurred, while others
feel guilty because they did try to stop it, but the abuse still happened.
8. Feel powerless and vulnerable feeling that there is no way to stop it or no one has the
ability to stop the abuser.
9. Feel isolated, with no one to help or support them, or they feel there is no one who can
protect them or be there to help.
10. Feel insecure as children are highly dependent on their parents/caregivers for their safety,
well-being and protection, and may worry about who will take care of them if the abuse
is disclosed.

What to do?

 Do not panic and over react

 Do not criticize or blame the child
 Do not make the child guilty
 Support him to speak
 Be sympathetic and supportive to discuss her feelings
 Encourage the child to ventilate feelings of anger etc.
 Do not minimize the magnitude of what has been done to your child
 Consult a doctor
 Discuss and lodge a police complaint

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  Stand by your child and do not re-victimize the child by getting into arguments with
family members
 Consider the need for counselling or a professionally qualified child psychologist keeping
in view the gender of the doctor.
Effects of Abuse:

It is often seen that child sexual abuse may act as a hindrance in leading a normal social growth
and can be the cause for psycho-social problems throughout the lives of sexual abuse victims. It
can cause stress even long after the experience or experiences has seized. The victim may
experience:

 Higher levels of depression, guilt, shame, self-blame, eating disorders, somatic concerns,
anxiety, dissociative phenomenon, sexual and relationship problems.
 Difficulty in externalizing the abuse.
 Think negatively about themselves.
 Feel worthless and they avoid others because they believe they have nothing to offer.
 Experience difficulties in trust building, particularly if abused by close family members.

Early Identification of a Perpetrator

It is seen that in majority of the cases abuser may be a close family member or acquaintance.
Following could be some of the signs for early identification of a perpetrator:

 Showing undue attention towards a child.

 Insisting on touching, hugging and kissing, tickling or holding child even when child
does not want it or resist.
 Seeming overtly interested in child's sexual growth and often talks about it with the child.
 Constantly manipulating to get lonely time with the child or insist for such.
 Spending most of the time with the children and is hardly interested in interacting with
age-appropriate friends or colleagues.
 Buying often expensive gifts or giving money to the child for no apparent reason.

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Prevalence of Abuse in Different Settings

Child sexual abuse is never confined to a place. The cases of child sexual abuse can be seen in
different settings. Typical of these may include:

Abuse within Family

Abuse within the family could be very traumatic as it is a breach of trust by trusted family
members. It is often perpetrated by those responsible for the child’s protection, e.g., fathers,
older siblings, aunts and uncles. Such kind of an abuse, sadly, often goes unreported as children
are reluctant to tell the truth because of fear, stigma or blame and so on. Abusers may at times
also threaten the child, so that the child stays quiet for fear of retaliation.

Abuse within Community

Abuse within the community can be seen in two forms: 1) by those who are closely related with
the child such as family friends, child caretakers, or neighbours, etc.; and 2) by those who can
exercise control over the child or the child’s parents. Both girl and boy child face equal threats of
being abused.

Abuse in Educational Settings

Abuse in educational settings is widespread as we come across incidents of children being

abused every day. Most of the times, it is perpetrated by teachers/school attendants and even by
children’s peers as well.

Abuse in Institutional Set-up

Institutional settings for children like shelters, orphanages, prisons and Children Homes carry a
greater risk of abuse as in an Institutional set-up children often do not get individual attention but
are treated as a group, by staff who are often poorly trained and poorly paid. Inadequate staff in
Institutions often result in children not being supervised properly which may in turn lead to
sexual abuse/interactions among children.

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Ironically, a majority of such cases occur at home, school or the neighbourhood. And, sadly, a
stunning majority of these cases go unnoticed.

Abuse at the Workplace

A large number of children are engaged in remunerated work outside the immediate family.
While most sexual abuse of children in the workplace is perpetrated by employers but children
may also suffer such abuse from co-workers, police, labour officials and customers as well.

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Booklet 2: Facts and Figures on Child Sexual Abuse

The Magnitude of the Problem

Globally

WHO estimates that between 25 to 50 per cent of children are victims of physical abuse and
approximately 20 per cent of girls and 5 to 10 per cent of boys are victims of sexual abuse. These
estimates are very approximate as sexual crimes carry a risk of under-reporting due to the stigma
attached to it.

Indian Scenario

Sexual abuse is quite rampant in India and both girls and boys are vulnerable to it. According to
the MWCD survey (2007) sexual abuse was reported by 53.22 per cent children covering 12,447
children from 13 States.

Percentage of CSA among Children

Child Sexual Abuse Percentage

Out of
12447
47.06 % children 52.94 %
girls from 13
States boys

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The Table given below indicates that the incident of CSA is not uncommon as shown in different
settings. (GOI Survey, 2007)

Categories of Children Yes (%) No (%)

Child in family environment not going to school 53.18 46.82
Child going to school 49.92 50.08
Children at work (shop, factory, or other places) 61.61 38.39
Children on the streets 54.51 45.49
Children in institutional care 47.08 52.92
Total 53.22 46.78

Types of Abuse

The MWCD survey (2007) further revealed that sexual abuse was reported by 53.22 per cent
children. Among them 52.94 per cent were boys and 47.06 per cent girls. About 21.90 per cent
of child respondents faced severe forms of abuse, 5.69 per cent had been sexually assaulted and
50.76 per cent reported other forms of sexual abuse as shown in the figure below:

100 21.99 50.76

50 5.69
0
Severe
form of Sexually other
sexual assulted forms of
abuse abuse

Among school-going children, prevalence rate of CSA was found to be 48 per cent in boys and
39 per cent in girls, and 15 per cent of both boys and girls had been severely abused. (Tulir:
CPHCSA’s study in 2006, conducted among 2211 school-going children in Chennai).

In another study, among school-going children 63 per cent had experienced CSA at the hands of
family members; and 25 per cent of the girls had either been raped, made to masturbate the
perpetrator or engage in oral sex. (Survey by Sakshi (1997) in New Delhi with 350 school girls)

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The incident of CSA is not uncommon even in upper classes, if we were to look at the study by
RAHI (Recovering and Healing from Incest-1997) in five major
cities of India (Chennai, Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata and
Goa) which looked at the experiences of English-speaking
Disturbing Fact:
middle- and upper-class adults. The study revealed that 76
per cent of respondents had been sexually abused as 50 per cent of abusers were
known to the child or in a
children, 40 per cent were survivors of incest. Further, 35 position of trust and
responsibility (family
per cent of the attacks took place between the ages of 12 member, close relative,
friend or neighbour).
and 16, while 19 per cent took place under age eight (8).

12-16 years
19 Out
of 76 under 8
%
35 years

Non-reporting of cases:
As per the study by RAHI, majority of children (72.1%) subjected to sexual assault kept and did
not report the matter to anyone. Among those who reported, the majority of children shared the
incident with their parents followed by brother and sister (6.7%). Only 3.4 % children reported
the matter to police.

According to CRY, a large number of children go missing every year—some are sold by their
families, some are kidnapped, others lured by the promise of a better life both for themselves and
their kin (Child Rights and You).
 8,945 children go missing in India every year;
 500,000 children are estimated to be forced into the sex trade every year;

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  Approximately 2 million child commercial sex workers are between the ages of 5 and 15
years;
 Approximately 3.3 million child commercial sex workers are between 15 and 18 years;
 Children form 40 per cent of the total population of commercial sex workers;
 80% of these children are found in the five metros—Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai,
and Bengaluru;
 71 per cent of them are illiterate.
(The Sounds of Silence: Child Sexual Abuse in India)

Crime Head Year Year Year

2012 2013 2014
Reported cases of Rape 8541 12363 13766
Cases registered under POCSO Act, 2 - - 8904
012
(Crimes in India 2014)

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Booklet 3:

Frequently Asked Questions on Child Sexual Abuse

(FAQs)

1. What is Child Sexual Abuse?

Child Sexual Abuse is a form of child abuse in which an adult or older adolescent uses a
child for sexual stimulation. It includes both touching and non-touching activity.

2. What is good touch?

A good touch can be explained as a way for people to show that they care for each other. For
example hugging, holding hands, etc.

3. What is bad touch?

A bad touch can be explained as a touch that one does not like or makes one feel
uncomfortable and makes one want to stop it right away; acts such as kicking, hitting, or
touching bodily private parts, etc.

4. Who is sexually abused?

Child sexual abuse is not uncommon. Children of all ages, races, ethnicities, and economic
backgrounds are vulnerable to sexual abuse. Child sexual abuse affects both girls and boys in
all kinds of neighbourhoods and communities.

5. Who sexually abuses children?

The perpetrator comes from all classes, ethnic and religious backgrounds including people
whom we know and care about, e.g., family members, friends, neighbours, babysitters,

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 teachers or people who hold responsible positions in society. Most abusers are men, but in
some case, women are also found to be sexually abusing children.
6. Why do children not disclose sexual abuse?
The reasons could be manifold and are as follows:
 Do not consider it was serious or wrong;
 Do not want parents or friends to find out;
 Feels scared;
 Fears of not being believed;
 Is threatened by the perpetrator to not disclose to anybody and to keep the abuse a secret;
 Feels guilty because they believe that the abuse is their fault;
 Is confused because the offender is someone they know and trust;
 Does not know that the abuse is not okay;
 Is scared of threats of bodily harm (to the child and/or the child’s family);
 Fears being removed from the home;
 Young children may not have language/ skills to communicate about abuse or may not
understand that the actions of the perpetrator are abusive.


7. What is the impact of child sexual abuse on child?

The impact of sexual abuse varies from child to child. For many, the damage is enormous,
with the trauma being felt in adulthood also, affecting all aspects of their life.

8. How widespread is child sexual abuse?

Child sexual abuse is largely a hidden crime, so accurately estimating the number of people
who are sexually abused at some point of time during their childhood is difficult. According
to WHO, one in every four girls and one in every seven boys in the world are sexually abused.
Virani (2000) states that the WHO found that at any given time, one of ten children in India is
a victim of sexual abuse. (Review Research Paper, The Problems of Child Sexual Abuse in
India J Indian (Acad Forensic Med. April-June, 2012, Vol. 34, No. 2).

9. What means. opportunities are being adopted by people to commit child sexual abuse?
 Getting close to children through building a relationship with the child;

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  Being friendly with parents in terms of offering to baby-sit or offer support with child
care and other responsibilities.
 Holding trusted positions in the community which puts them in contact with
children;such as childcare, schools,children's groups and sports team;
 Looking for opportunities to be in contact with children at places like playgrounds, parks,
swimming baths and around schools etc.;
 Offering gifts or treats to children and later making them feel guilty and threaten, if the
child says 'no' or tells someone;
 Threatening to hurt the child or their families;
 Playing up on the child's fear, embarrassment or guilt about what will happen or perhaps
convincing them that no one will believe them;
 Very young or disabled children may lack the words or the right means of
communication to let people know what is going on or happening with them;
 There could be many other reasons also of not disclosing the abuse to others.
10. What are the signs that a child is being abused?
 Acting in an inappropriate sexual way with toys or objects;
 Nightmares, sleeping problems, disturbed sleep;
 Becoming withdrawn or very clingy;
 Personality changes, becoming more and more withdrawn and insecure;
 Regressing to younger behaviours, e.g., bed-wetting;
 Unaccountable fear of particular places or people;
 Outburst of anger;
 Changes in eating habits;
 Physical signs, such as, unexplained soreness or bruises around genitals, sexually-
transmitted diseases;
 Becoming secretive and introvert.

11. Do children sexually abuse other children?

In some cases, it could be true as they may not understand that his or her forceful sexual
actions towards another child are harmful. But being sexually victimized absolutely does
not mean a child will develop sexually abusive behaviours.

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12. Is viewing child pornography child sexual abuse?
Yes, filming/making, downloading, or viewing sexual images of children on the internet is a
crime.

13. How can you prevent child sexual abuse?

Learn the facts: Sensitizing and educating the community about child sexual abuse is the
key.
Minimize the opportunity: Beware of such situations where adults can take advantage of the
child to minimize the incidents of child sexual abuse.
Talk about it: Children often keep abuse a secret, but barriers can be broken down by
talking openly about it.
Stay alert: Children who have been abused often have an increased sexual knowledge,
behaviour and language that is not typical for their age. Understand and pay heed to the
warning signs.
React responsibly and report the matter.

14. Is there any law against Child Sexual Abuse in India?

Yes, there is a law against Child Sexual Abuse. It is named “Protection of Children
from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012”.

15. When did the POCSO Act, 2012 come into force?
The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012 came into force on
14th November, 2012. The Act was passed in the Indian Parliament in May 2012.

16. Who is defined as a child under POCSO Act, 2012?

The POCSO Act 2012 defines a child as any person below the age of 18 years.

17. What are the relief methods available to child victims of sexual offences?

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 o Child-friendly processes: The POCSO Act requires respect for the dignity and autonomy
of the child at every stage of the legal process. It provides for child-friendly procedures
for medical examination, recording of the statement by the police and Magistrate, as well
as during the examination of the child in the Court.
o Emergency medical care: Children who are the victims of penetrative sexual assault,
aggravated penetrative sexual assault, sexual assault and aggravated sexual assault; or
who are found to be in need of urgent medical attention are entitled to receive emergency
medical care within 24 hours of the police/ SJPU receiving information about the crime.
o Care and Protection: If the police/ SJPU have reasonable grounds to believe that the
child is in need of care and protection, they must immediately make arrangements to give
the child such care and protection and also alert the Child Welfare Committee (CWC),
the statutory authority vested with this responsibility.
o Compensation: A child victim may receive interim compensation for immediate needs
for relief or rehabilitation and final compensation for the loss or injury caused to him/her.
o Punishment: The act prescribes punishment for offenders who commit sexual offences
against children.

18. Is it mandatory to report a case of child sexual abuse to police?

Yes, The POCSO Act, 2012, makes it mandatory to report a case of sexual abuse to
the police.

19. Once the abuse is reported, what action will the police take?
The Police will conduct the investigation keeping in view all the protective
measures, prescribed under the Act.

20. What is a Child Welfare Committee (CWC)? Is there any role to be played by CWC in
relation to child sexual abuse?
The Child Welfare Committee (CWC) is the statutory body to deal with cases of those
children who are in need of care and protection. In a child sexual abuse case, after preliminary
investigations, if it is found that a child is in need of care and protection, case will be reported
before CWC, which will ensure that the child is placed in a protective environment.

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21. How much time will the Special Court take to dispose of the case?
The case should be disposed of within a time frame of one year, as per the provisions of the
Act.

22. Are children with disability more vulnerable to child sexual abuse?
Yes, children with disability are more vulnerable and likely to get abused. A combination of
communication methods along with gestures may be used to teach these children about
personal safety rules.

23. How to generate awareness about the issue?

Parents, teachers and other relevant stakeholders must be educated, sensitized and provide
support to create a safety net around the child.

24. What is Personal Safety Education?

Personal Safety Education provides information that children need to feel safe and the skills
that generate confidence to handle any adverse situation as well as teaches safety steps.

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Booklet 4:

Legal Provisions dealing with Child Sexual Abuse

in India

The Indian Penal Code (IPC) neither defines child abuse as a specific offence nor offers any
solutions or punishment for it. The law vaguely describes “child sexual abuse” as criminal and
civil offences in which an adult engages in sexual activity with a minor or exploits a minor for
the purpose of sexual gratification. The scenario gets confusing when the act is committed by a
child against a child.

 According to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Children (UNCRC 1990)
and Juvenile Justice (Care & Protection of Children) Act, 2015, a child has been
described as an individual under the age of 18 years.
 Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (2012), POCSO is the primary law
dealing with Child Sexual Abuse in our country.

International Instruments addressing Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse include:

 Convention on the Rights of the Child (1990) (CRC);
 Optional Protocol to CRC on the Sale of Children;
 Child Prostitution and Child Pornography – 2000;
 Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (1981)
(CEDAW);
 UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime with a special protocol to
Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in persons, especially women and children
(2000); and

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  ILO Convention 182 (1999), recognizing child prostitution and child pornography as one
of the worst forms of child labour.

Relevant Articles in CRC:

 Article 19 of the Convention on the Rights of Children expressly says, inter alia States Parties
shall take all appropriate legislative, administrative, social and educational measures to
protect the child from all forms of physical or mental violence, injury or abuse, neglect or negligent
treatment, maltreatment or exploitation, including sexual abuse, while in the care of parent(s),
legal guardian(s) or any other person who has the care of the child.
 Article 34 says that States Parties shall protect the child from all forms of sexual exploitation and
sexual abuse and take all appropriate national, bilateral and multilateral measures to prevent: 1)
engagement of child in in any unlawful sexual activity; 2) exploitative use of children in prostitution
or other unlawful sexual practices; 3) exploitative use of children in pornographic performances
and materials.
 Article 35 obligates States Parties to take all appropriate national, bilateral and multilateral
measures to prevent the abduction of, the sale of or traffic in children for any purpose or in any
form.
 Article 39 commits States to promote the physical and psychological recovery and social
reintegration of children who have been victims of any form of neglect, violence, exploitation,
abuse torture or other degrading treatment or punishment or armed conflict.
 Freedom of expression in Article 13 and the right to be heard in Article 12 are of particular
importance when a child wants to speak up about sexual abuse and exploitation. Children who
report sexual abuse and exploitation have the right to be taken seriously, to be met with respect
and to receive assistance.
 Good channels for reporting and effective disclosure procedures are essential.

Response to Child Sexual Abuse in India

 Constitution of India recognizes the vulnerable position of children and accordingly
makes provision for their right to protection (in Articles 14, 15, 15(3), 19(1) (a), 21,
21(A), 23, 24, 39(e) 39 (f)).
 India ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1992 and Government has
adopted various measures to improve the well-being of the country's children, drawing up

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 new laws and launching major initiatives to improve health, education, and the protection
of vulnerable children.
 Further, Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 is a major step forward
specifically outlawing child sexual abuse as it provides clear definitions of child sexual
abuse, provides for child-friendly procedures as well as setting up of special courts to
exclusively deal with child sexual abuse cases.
The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 (POCSO)

Some of the salient features of the Act are:

o The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act 2012 has been drafted to strengthen
the legal provisions for the protection of children from sexual abuse and exploitation.
o The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act 2012 defines a child as any person
below the age of 18 years and provides protection to all children under the age of 18
years from sexual abuse.
o It is gender neutral (does not differentiate between a boy or a girl child).
o Clear definitions of child sexual abuse.
- Penetrative Sexual Assault (Section 3)
- Aggravated Penetrative Sexual Assault (Section 5)
- Sexual Assault (Section 7)
- Aggravated Sexual Assault (Section 9)
- Sexual Harassment of the Child (Section 11)
- Use of Child for Pornographic Purposes (Section 13)
o Provision for “aggravated” offence with higher punishment under special circumstances.
o Punishment graded as per gravity of the offence.
o Child offenders not punishable under the Act; instead, to be dealt with under the Juvenile
Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015.
o Child-friendly provisions for reporting, recording of evidence, investigation and trial.
o Abetment treated with same gravity as commission of that offence (Section 16).
o Trafficking of children for sexual purposes covered under abetment (Section 16
Explanation III).

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o Attempt to commit an offence penalized, for up to half the punishment prescribed for that
offence (Section 18).
o Child-friendly procedures:
- Recording at the residence of child
- Recording by officer not below the rank of sub-inspector
- Police officer not to be in uniform
- Child does not come in contact with the accused
- Child not to be detained in police station at night
- Police to determine immediate need for care and protection
- Police to arrange for emergency medical care
o Ensure forensic samples are sent to forensic laboratory at the earliest.
Inform the child and parents/guardians about support services including counselling and
access to legal aid.
o Obligation of media, studio and photographic facilities to report cases to SJPU/local
police.
o Failure to report of an offence punishable with imprisonment of six months or with fine
or both.
o Failure to record an offence also punishable with imprisonment of six months or with fine
or both.
o Obligation of media, studio and photographic facilities to report cases to SJPU/local
police.
o Failure to report commission of offence punishable with imprisonment of six months or
with fine or both.
o Failure to record an offence also punishable with imprisonment of six months or with fine
or both.
o Recording in simple language.
o Assistance of translator / interpreter /special educator as the case may be.
o Recording statement of child at the residence of child or at the place of his choice.
o Statement to be recorded in the presence of parents or in whom the child has confidence.
o Provision of support person.

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 o Special courts are designated to complete recording of the evidence of the child within
one month.
o Complete trial of offences within a period of one year.
o Special court may provide interim compensation after registration of FIR.

National and State Commission for the Protection of Child Rights

The National and State Commission for the Protection of Child Rights analyses existing laws and
policies and investigates suspected incidents where children’s rights are /have been violated.
These Commissions can look into and investigate the complaints sent by individual petitioners
including visiting residential child care institutions. Presently, the Commission is also entrusted
with the responsibility of monitoring the implementation of POCSO Act, 2012.

Juvenile Justice Act, 2015

The JJ Act is the primary law for the protection of children in India. The JJ Act deals with two
categories of children: 1) Children in Need of Care and Protection; and 2) Children in Conflict
with Law. The Act talks about Child Welfare Committee, a statutory body to deal with children
in need of care and protection. The Child Welfare Committee also takes action for rehabilitation
of sexually abused children who are reported as children in need of care and protection to the
Committee by Special Juvenile Police Unit or local police, as the case may be, under the
Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012.

Safeguarding Children in Institutions through:

1. Making children aware about CSA.

2. Preparing children to avoid / handle potentially dangerous situations.

3. Encouraging children to report CSA.

4. Confidential complaint boxes for children.

5. Proper lighting in CCIs.

6. CCTV cameras in most areas of CCI in a lawful manner.

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7. Regular health/ medical check-up of children for physical and behavioural changes.

8. Capacity-building in prevention and handling CSA.

9. Checking antecedents of CCI Staff and associates/ regular visitors for business with
respect to history of CSA.
10. Training superintendents in identifying victims of CSA.

11. Regular observation of and interaction with children by Superintendents, doctors,

counsellors.
12. Regular health/medical check-up of children for tell-tale marks.

13. Constitution of children’s committee and its regular meetings.

14. Prompt reporting of CSA in the premises.

15. Special sensitivity towards vulnerable children including:

 very young children

 physically challenged children
 mentally challenged children
 children with a withdrawn personality

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Booklet 5:
Empowering Children to Protect Themselves

Why teach children?

 Children are vulnerable to all types of abuse due to dependence on adults and their lack
of knowledge about danger and self-protection.

Teaching children to avoid child sexual abuse may involve teaching them:
 The concept of ‘private zones’ and what parts of the body are considered ‘private’;
 The different kinds of appropriate/inappropriate, good/bad touching that a child can
experience;
 That it is possible that a person whom the child knows and likes, may try to hurt them.
 To trust their intuition about people and situations; and
 About healthy sexual development.

Giving children the skills to prevent child sexual abuse may involve teaching them:
 The right to decide who can and who cannot touch their body; and
 That in a situation when someone touches them against their will or in a way that makes
them uncomfortable, they can say “no” or leave/run away and tell a trusted adult.

Encouraging children to report child sexual abuse may involve teaching them:
 Child sexual abuse is never the fault of the child;
 If someone touches them in a way that makes them uncomfortable, they should always
tell a trusted adult;
 Teaching children to differentiate between “bad secrets” and “good secrets” as secrecy is
the main tactic of a sexual abuser;
 To identify trusted adults as in most of the cases offender is a known person;

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  Teaching the child to handle such situations wherein they can be attacked by strangers.

Teaching safety rules will include:

 Do not get into a car with anyone they do not know;
 Do not accept gifts or invitation to someone’s house without informing one’s own
parents;
 Teaching self-defense skills to children;
 Establishing a family plan, in case a child gets lost in a public place–define a meeting
point; avoiding/ignoring frequently used tricks of kidnappers, such as telling a child that
their parents have had an accident, etc.;
 That a child should keep telling an adult they trust about sexual abuse until the adult does
something to protect the child; That they will be believed, not scolded and still be loved if
they tell/admit; and
 Making the child learn the correct names for body parts (e.g., penis, vagina, breasts,
buttocks) so that children may accurately report what has happened to them.

Safety Messages:
 Your body is your own and no one can touch it without permission;
 Safe and unsafe touching;
 “No! Go! Tell!”
 A bad and a good secret;
 The offender could be a known person;
 The offender could be a stranger (risk of attack or kidnapping);
 Learn to seek help;
 Helping others facilitate empathy, friendship and caring which boost up pro-social
behaviour as peers could also be source of help; and
 Open communication.

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Developing a supportive environment to ensure children’s safety:
 Good communication with children which will facilitate giving children clear guidelines
to ensure their safety and how to recognize potential dangers—paving the way for
children to speak openly about concerns, doubts or disclosed CSA;
 Focus on safe behaviour and skills rather than on the risks;
 Re-establishment of safe environment after CSA has been revealed;
 An appropriate response from the adult to whom the child has revealed the abuse is
essential to avoid further psychological damage; and
 Assuring children that they are not be blamed for abuse.

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Booklet 6:

Role of Stakeholders in Addressing Child Sexual

Abuse

INTRODUCTION

Child Sexual Abuse (CSA) is multi-pronged, episodic and repetitive in nature. CSA involves
multiple episodes over months and years till the problem is detected or rather discovered. The
psychological impact and loss of self-esteem caused by CSA is much more than many other
psychiatric disorders. In our society, it is a hidden problem. There are incidences, wherein the
perpetrator is known to the child or may be a family member or neighbour and the child may
have to live with the perpetrator even though the abuse occurs and the child may be too scared
and not reveal anything about the abuse, but rather may continue to be abused.

Role of Parents
Talking about child sexual abuse with your child may seem difficult, but the possible
consequences of not talking with your child are even worse—that they may be sexually abused
and not know where to turn for help.

Tips to Prevent CSA

 Establishing rapport with children is foremost which will encourage good communication
with children;
 Teach decision-making as it allows children to be more confident while taking simple
decisions affecting their lives and prepare them for the more difficult choices ahead;
 Explain the consequences of actions taken by children and how these can affect them;
 Teach them about being open, leading to sharing good secrets such as a surprise party and
secrets that make you feel bad;

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  Share your strategies in preparing them to overcome with challenges like frustration,
failure, fear, stress, loss, and even success; and
 A little bit of curiosity surrounding the lives of your children is always helpful; be
curious and take sincere interest in their views, joys and sorrows, well-being and their
own identity.

Talking about Child Sexual Abuse to your Child

 Believing in your child is the first and foremost thing;

 Controlling your emotion and be patient to help the child open up;
 Make the child comfortable and reaffirm your child's feelings and be willing to give some
space;
 Choose questions selectively and only ask those questions that allow your child to tell
you what happened in his/her own words;
 Avoid asking leading questions;
 Careful use of words/terminology has to be kept in
mind; You might experience:
 Tell your child what will happen next, as it is  Initial denial or
important to explain to the child that some secrets difficulty
believing.
must be shared in order to seek help in overcoming  Anger
a problem; and  Guilt
 Sadness
 Report abuse and seek assistance.  Fear
 Confusion
Role of Teachers in Prevention of CSA

Talking about Child Sexual Abuse to the Child

 Find a quiet, secure and private place to talk to the child;
 Listen carefully to the child;
 Give space to the child and do not push the child to share more than what he/she is
willing to speak;
 Extend the warmth and acceptance;

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 Ask only for information to assess the child’s safety at first;
 Reassuring the child that he/she has done the right thing by telling you;
 Make a clear distinction that the abuse or neglect is not the child's fault;
 Keep your own feelings under control;
 Be calm and non-judgmental;
 Tell the child that there is help available;
 Be specific about what will happen next;
 Be supportive;
 Try to help the child regain control;
 Reassure the child that you will do your best to support him/her;
 Seek professional help and guidance in speaking to the child;
 Effective self-care is critical for the educator responding to abuse allegations;
 Do not express/show a feeling of shock or disbelief while the child is talking;
 If you are skeptical, do not express/show your doubts to the child;
 Do not try to determine for yourself if the allegation is valid or invalid;
 Do not correct or criticize the child’s choice of words or language, especially while
dealing with sexual abuse cases, at times the child may use graphic language to disclose.
 Do not conduct an investigation on your own;
 Document what the child is saying and let the investigators take over from there;
 In-depth questioning jeopardizes the quality of information disclosed by the child; refrain
from doing so.
 Do not call the child’s parents;
 Do not convey anger or impatience if the child is not ready to discuss the abuse;
 Do not make negative comments about the perpetrator;
 Share the information with only those adults who need the information to protect and
support the child;
 Do not stand over a child while he/she is disclosing or telling about the abuse; give the
child the space required for him/her to open up;
 Instead, place yourself in such a way that you meet the child’s eye level.

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Sensitization of Children in School

The initiative to teach the child of the acceptable and the unacceptable has to start at school level,
where they feel comfortable with their peers and where there is a free exchange of ideas,
perspectives and feelings, where children can relate to one another, counter question, and voice
their doubts rather than being passive listeners. Children, usually, avoid disclosure or often delay
it due to various reasons. Precautions which can prevent CSA are as follows:
 Screening and training for those in touch with children;
 Implementing a child protection policy at school level for reporting child sexual abuse
and handling disclosures from children;
 Establishing protocols and screening for school computer use;
 Assessing your environmental structure and taking every possible step to make it safer
for children.
 Making certain campus security is in place so that all visitors are screened in office and
the unusual incidents/visitors are handled;
 Planning programmes and involving parents in their children’s safety and security at
school and while going to and from school;
 Planning training programmes for children wherein children are provided training to
prevent CSA through role-playing, behavioural rehearsal, feedback and active
participation in presentations with the help of qualified staff that are age-appropriate and
build self-confidence in order to better handle and protect themselves in all types of
difficult situations;
 Showing films, comic books or children’s books about child sexual abuse prevention;
 Giving lecture about CSA prevention;
 Distributing Questionnaires at school level, with discussions such as who don’t you like?
And why? Where do you feel most uncomfortable? Or who do you trust the most or what
do you fear the most? … and picking up suspicious answers can be a good screening
device for child sexual abuse;
 Helping children express their thoughts through drawing and painting is often easier for
children rather than one-on-one discussion. This further can be scrutinized by the

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 teachers in school in collaboration with their parents and professionals to further come to
a solution;
 Repeatedly guiding children as they grow up and educating about CSA should be an
ongoing process rather than a one-time phenomenon;
 Developing age-appropriate programmes, as they might be the potential victims or
witnesses or friends of victims;
 Children should be taught to develop a healthy and balanced relationship based on trust
and understanding.
 Making use of audio-visual aids will be extremely convincing in conveying the message.
 Children in groups, along with their classmates, must be told about the ‘good touch’ and
the ‘bad touch’; and
 The only means of prevention of victimization is giving the child the courage and the
knowledge to say ‘No’.

Post Disclosure
 After disclosure, the reaction of parents and teachers is very critical in determining how
much damage control is possible in a particular case;
 Exaggerated reactions are to be avoided at all costs;
 Quietly listening is the key to handle this sensitive issue; and
 Reporting and taking appropriate action is important.

Role of the Community

Here are some of the things as a community we can do:
 Developing mechanisms to know about child rights and child sexual abuse in family, neig
hbourhood and community;
 Sensitization about the issue which will help break the silence around child sexual abuse;
 Observing and being alert about what is happening around you;
 Advocating for the implementation of a school child protection policy; and
 Coordinating with NGOs functioning in the field of CSA to organize talks/workshops/for
the school/neighbourhood/community.

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EARLY DETECTION OF CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE IS THE NEED OF THE HOUR

Early detection of CSA is the need of the hour due to the following factors :
 It will help the situation to get worse in terms of halting the progress from less severe for
m to more severe form;
 It will help in overcoming the trauma caused by the abuse;
 It will prevent sexually transmitted diseases and unwanted pregnancies; early reporting w
ill help in speedy processing and early justice;
 It will help in separating the perpetrator from the victim and reduce the risk of repetition
of the offence;
 Lowers the severity of long-term psychological impact on the victim.

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Booklet 7:

QUESTIONS TO PRACTICE DECISION-MAKING

Q1. What if someone you know touches you in a confusing way and asks you to keep it a
secret?
Q2. . What if a stranger offered you some chocolates or something that you really wanted?
Q3. What if a stranger offers you a lift in their car?
Q4. What if you and your parents got separated at a shopping mall or in any public space?
Q5. What if a stranger knocks the door while you are alone at the home?
Q6. What if your parents are not listening to you when you really want them to hear you?
Q7. What if one of your friends seems sad or depressed?
Q8. What if somebody is treating you different from other children?
Q9. What if someone wants to spend time alone with you; makes excuses to go to secluded
places, or ensure that others leave you alone.
Q10. What if someone accidentally-on-purpose touches your private parts—brushes against your
private parts deliberately or rubs their body against yours in a sporting event or otherwise.
Q11. What if someone is looking at or touching your body and saying it is an inspection or to see
how you are developing?
Q12. What if someone is not respecting your privacy, comes to your frequently/enters your room
without knocking, does not allow you to close doors of bedroom or bathroom?
Q13. What if someone is teaching about sex education and shows pornographic pictures, or
shows his/her body parts or touches yours.
Q14. What if someone is saying sexual things about your body or how you dress?
Q15. What if someone is doing things to you that involve physical contact, gives you back-rubs,
massages you, wants to help you wash?

Besides, children have to be/should be taught about their right to say ‘No’.

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Booklet 8:
MYTHS AND FACTS ON CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE

Myth: Child sexual abuse is uncommon.

Fact: Child sexual abuse is not uncommon. As per MWCD survey report (2007), 53.22 per cent of
children faced some form of sexual abuse. Among them 52.94 per cent were boys and 47.06 per cent were
girls. However, because of its very secretive nature, many of these cases are left
unreported.

Myth: A child is most likely to be sexually abused by a stranger.

Fact: Children are most often sexually abused by someone they know and trust. It has been seen that in a
majority of cases, abusers are known to the victim. The study conducted by MWCD and RAHI also
reported high percentage of sexual abuse by cousins, uncles, friends, and class fellows.

Myth: It is too early to teach preschoolers about child sexual abuse.

Fact: Several educational programmes are available to teach young children about body safety skills and
the difference between “good” and “bad” touch. These programmes can help children develop basic
safety skills in a way that is helpful rather than frightening.

Myth: Children who are sexually abused will never recover.

Fact: Many children are quite resilient, and with effective counselling and support from their parents or
caregivers, children can and do recover from such experiences.

Myth: Talking about sexual abuse with a child who has suffered such an experience will only make it
worse.
Fact: Although children often choose not to talk about their abuse, there is no evidence that encouraging
children to talk about sexual abuse will make them feel worse. On the contrary, treatment from a mental
health professional can minimize the physical, emotional, and social problems of these children by
allowing them to process their feelings and fears related to the abuse.

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Myth: Sexual abusers look different.
Fact: Sexual offenders do not look any different from anyone else. They are usually “average”
people in our community.

Myth: The majority of adults who abuse children were themselves sexually abused
as children.
Fact: Evidence does not support the view that offenders have also been a victim of sexual abuse.

Myth: Most children don’t know the people who abuse them.
Fact: In most of the cases, abusers are known to children.

Myth: If children are alone, out of sight, they cannot be protected.

Fact: Children need to be taught about personal safety skills. They need to be aware of ‘good’
touch and ‘bad’ touch and in emergency situations, whom to contact.

Myth: Children who are sexually abused can never come out of it.
Fact: While being sexually abused can be traumatic for a child and a child may not be able to
forget it all his/her life; but trust, support, love and affection will help them to overcome this
dreadful experience and can be normal for rest of their lives.

Myth: Children, who hide being sexually abused, do not share a good relationship with
their parents.
Fact: There is a lot of secrecy involved around the issue of sexual abuse. A child may find
it difficult to disclose the issue for fear of being ridiculed or not knowing as to how others may
react.

Myth: Only pretty little girls are sexually abused.

Fact: Sexual abuse can happen with anybody, be it a girl or a boy.

Myth: My child would always tell me if anything like this happened to them.

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Fact: On the contrary, children tend to hide such things and many times abuse often comes to
light when it is too late.

Myth: This could never happen to my child.

Fact: Sexual abuse can happen with any child.

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