Karnataka

13 out of 100 kids sexually abused in Shivamogga: Indian Psychiatric Society

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SHIVAMOGGA: Nearly 13 children out of every 100 are sexually abused in Shivamogga, revealed a survey by the Indian Psychiatric Society. So said Karnataka Chapter President Harish Delantabettu. He said that the child sexual abuse rate in the district is 12.5 per cent. The study on ‘Child Sexual Abuse: Prevention and Response’ was conducted in the district under Harish’s guidance.

According to the survey, 165 students (97 boys and 68 girls) were the victims of sexual abuse. Dr. Sandhya Kaveri, psychologist R.V. Gunari and counsellor Shubha N. Vijayakumar interviewed 1,336 students between class 8th and 12th with a semi-structured questionnaire. Of those questioned, 551 boys, 770 girls responded and the remaining 15 did not respond, he explained.

Providing details about the results, he said: 34 students (2.5 per cent) were kissed by force, 36 (2.7 pc) were forced to show their private parts, 35 (2.6 pc) showed their private parts, 53 (4 pc) students’ private parts were touched, 44 (3.3 pc) were forced to touch others’ private parts, the offenders tried to take 24 (1.8 pc) students’ nude photos, 59 (5.4 pc) were shown nude photos or videos, 16 (1.2 pc) were forced to indulge in sexual intercourse.

Among those who committed this heinous crime, 23 per cent were friends, 13.7 per cent were siblings, 12.9 per cent were relatives, 10.8 per cent parents, 0.7 per cent guardians and 38.8 per cent known and unknown adults. He said that the results indicated there was a need to create awareness among the public over the safety of children. The burden of prevention should be distributed across community, organisations, and social structures, he added.

He said that child sexual abuse was a major health concern. Some studies showed that 18 per cent of girls and 8 per cent of boys have suffered child sexual abuse. The perpetrators win the trust of the child to prevent disclosure and at times, use threats to enforce silence.

Under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012, any sexual activity with a child below 18 years, whether a boy or girl, is considered a crime. Society should wake up and fight against child sexual abuse, he ended.

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