India, a nation of child sex abusers?

Bollywood actress Kalki Koechlin recently revealed that she was sexually abused as a child, which brought the issue of child sexual abuse (CSA) — a growing but under-reported horrible truth — to the forefront yet again. Kalki spoke about her trauma ahead of a two-day Annual Stakeholder’s Conference on Child Sexual Abuse (CSA) to be hosted in Mumbai.
A taboo topic
Actor Rahul Bose says, “It’s a mammoth issue, but we hardly ever discuss CSA.Statistics suggest that nearly 53% of children in our country are victims of sexual abuse, but speaking about it is considered taboo in our society. Worse, only about 20 NGOs and a few other entities are working on the issue. The idea of the conference is to come together and help each other to address the crime, get society to recognize and help victims and tell victims, who mostly suffer in silence, that there are people to help them.”
Documentary filmmaker Sanjay Kumar Singh, who made the film Chuppi Todo — Break the Silence (2011) on CSA, says, “As per statistics, every second child in India is a victim of sexual abuse. Perpetrators are mostly known to these children. I took my film to various schools and children homes across the country to help youngsters recognize abuse, raise their voice against it and report it to a responsible adult. During these screenings, I came across many children who revealed that they have faced sexual abuse. It’s a complex subject and needs to be dealt with great sensitivity.”
No cinematic representation
While many celebrities have spoken about CSA in public, mainstream cinema has shied away from making films about the issue. “I have not come across films dealing with the problem in a serious manner. Films are a reflection of our society. Ours is a double-standard society,” says filmmaker Onir, whose anthology film I Am (2011), has one short-film, Abhimanyu, revolving around the topic.
India — a nation of child sex abusers?
A survey conducted by Ministry of Women and Child Development in association with the United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef) and a few Indian NGOs working for child’s rights found that more than 53% of children in India are subjected to sexual abuse, but most don’t report it. The survey was conducted in 2007 and covered 13 states across the country with a sample size of 12,447. NGOs are demanding an in-depth study to address the issue properly.
Key findings
The first-ever survey on child abuse in the country disclosed that more than 50% of survey participants had been sexually abused in ways that ranged from severe — such as rape or fondling — to milder forms of molestation that included forcible kissing.
In 50% of child abuse cases, the abusers were known to the child or were in a position of trust and responsibility and most children did not report the matter to anyone.