Monday, 11th Aug, 2008
Hindustan Times
A helpline to the rescue of abused children
Ten-year-old Mariam called NGO Childline’s Shillong branch and lodged a complaint saying her 35-year-old neighbour had sexually abused her. The neighbour had threatened he would kill her father if she told him. Mariam told her friends who asked her to call the helpline.
At the Childline Foundation-Mumbai, in 2006-7, there were 1,337 calls for help to 1098 — India’s first 24X7 distress outreach service that also caters to marginalised sections – with 571 calls for missing children, 434 for shelter, 535 for emotional support and 277 for protection from abuse.
The maximum calls were for physical abuse (86 per cent), as compared to sexual abuse cases (6 per cent), and an equal number of financial abuse cases (5 per cent) between 2005-6 and 2006-7. The NGO received more than 7.5 lakh silent calls – calls where the caller chose not to speak. The data also indicate 30 per cent of calls were made by children either for themselves or to refer a friend.
Why are these children not speaking about their problems to their families?
The answer to that may be that ‘family’ is itself a luxury for the marginalised. For them, it’s not a reliable support base. Kajol Menon, executive director, Childline India Foundation, says: “The Childline calls tell us that child protection needs to be backed by on-the-ground infrastructure covering healthcare support systems, shelters, child-friendly police stations and judicial procedures. Helplines find it easier to draw children out as the anonymity helps them speak freely”.
August 19, 2008
August 18, 2008
Monday, 11th Aug, 2008
Times of India
NEW DELHI: STATISTICS
Over 12% victims of sexual assault did not share their trauma with anybody for 10 yearsor more, reveals a Delhi NGO study from 2000 to 2008.
Almost 65% women had different symptoms of post traumatic stress disorder even 6 months after the assault
The same percentage said they had suicidal thoughts intermittently for two years
NCRB statistics show that between 1953 and 2006, incidents of rape grew by 678%. Every 27 mins a woman is raped making it the fastest growing crime in India.
Times of India
NEW DELHI: STATISTICS
Over 12% victims of sexual assault did not share their trauma with anybody for 10 yearsor more, reveals a Delhi NGO study from 2000 to 2008.
Almost 65% women had different symptoms of post traumatic stress disorder even 6 months after the assault
The same percentage said they had suicidal thoughts intermittently for two years
NCRB statistics show that between 1953 and 2006, incidents of rape grew by 678%. Every 27 mins a woman is raped making it the fastest growing crime in India.
August 12, 2008
Horrifying child abuse statistics
This summary is not available. Please
click here to view the post.
May 15, 2008
Times of India - Navi Mumbai Plus
20th September, 2007
Learn to say no
Workshop conducted on how to empower children and parents to deal with sexual abuse
J V R Gopal
The Rotary Club of Navi Mumbai (RCNM) recently conducted a workshop on Personal Safety of the Child at Rotary Centre, Vashi. A number of school teachers and parents from Navi Mumbai attended the event. Recently, the ministry of Women and Child Development released its first-ever National Study on Child Abuse in April, which revealed the stark reality that every second boy or girl faces sexual abuse in one or more forms at some point in his/her lives.
“It is a very scary scenario that every child is vulnerable to abuse, be it physical, verbal, emotional or sexual. Hence, we thought it appropriate to organise a workshop by NGO Arpan. The main focus of Arpan, which was founded by Pooja Taparia, is on spreading awareness on Child Sexual Abuse (CSA). Arpan also provides professional help in dealing with all stages of support for victims of child abuse,” explained Surekha Mhatre, president, RCNM, in her welcome address.
Child Sexual Abuse (CSA) is defined as any sexual act directed at a minor.
“It could be a sexual touch or fondle, sexually explicit talk or hint, exposure to sexual activity or pornography and finally rape or attempted rape,” said Pushpa Venkatraman, counsellor, Arpan, who conducted the workshop. In fact, according to the national study, 50 percent of sexual offenders were known to the victim or were in positions of trust, such as a family member, close relative, friend or neighbour.
“The study revealed that children in the age group of five to 12 years faced higher levels of abuse. What’s more, boys were equally at risk as girls. Sadly, most children suffer quietly. They don’t talk about the abuse. But we need to talk about it so that we can prevent and cure it,” explained Venkatraman.
CSA affects the child negatively, thereby causing many ill effects. “They include shame guilt and anger; fear shock and confusion; constant illnesses; future exploitative relationships; social with drawl and finally inappropriate sexualised behaviour,” added the counsellor.
The thrust of the workshop therefore was to create awareness about such behavioral changes in children among their parents.
“It is only then that CSA can be prevented. Recognising such an abusive situation is a skill that both parents and children must master. It can help them stay away from such situations. Understanding the concept of Safe Touch (ST) and Unsafe Touch (UT) is the first building block in overcome the menace”, explained Pushpa.
So just like a parent teaches the child traffic safety rules, they should similarly teach children about ST and UT, as well as the methods to take care of them.
“The child should be thus empowered to say ‘no’ to any action or touch that causes discomfort or unease to him or her. Parents, who are aware, can help a sexually abused child much better,” advocated Venkatraman. “It is of utmost importance to remember and remind the child that sexual abuse is not his/ her fault. Children will talk about sexual abuse only in an understanding and comfortable environment.”
Arpan’s road map for parents to help victims of abuse is by first recognising that child has been sexually abused.
“Then the child should be helped to talk about this experience. Finally, professional support should be sought help to heal the child”, advised Pushpa.
The victim should be helped to move on and live beyond the shadow of the trauma of sexual abuse with dignity.
“The child has the right to do so. If the intervention is not undertaken within two years of abuse, the suppressed memory is bound to play havoc in the latter parts of life,” she concluded.
One of the delegates, Kavita Nair Bhatia, said, “I am associated with an NGO. I attended the seminar in order to understand the identification part, as well as the right time for intervention”.
Learn to say no
Workshop conducted on how to empower children and parents to deal with sexual abuse
J V R Gopal
The Rotary Club of Navi Mumbai (RCNM) recently conducted a workshop on Personal Safety of the Child at Rotary Centre, Vashi. A number of school teachers and parents from Navi Mumbai attended the event. Recently, the ministry of Women and Child Development released its first-ever National Study on Child Abuse in April, which revealed the stark reality that every second boy or girl faces sexual abuse in one or more forms at some point in his/her lives.
“It is a very scary scenario that every child is vulnerable to abuse, be it physical, verbal, emotional or sexual. Hence, we thought it appropriate to organise a workshop by NGO Arpan. The main focus of Arpan, which was founded by Pooja Taparia, is on spreading awareness on Child Sexual Abuse (CSA). Arpan also provides professional help in dealing with all stages of support for victims of child abuse,” explained Surekha Mhatre, president, RCNM, in her welcome address.
Child Sexual Abuse (CSA) is defined as any sexual act directed at a minor.
“It could be a sexual touch or fondle, sexually explicit talk or hint, exposure to sexual activity or pornography and finally rape or attempted rape,” said Pushpa Venkatraman, counsellor, Arpan, who conducted the workshop. In fact, according to the national study, 50 percent of sexual offenders were known to the victim or were in positions of trust, such as a family member, close relative, friend or neighbour.
“The study revealed that children in the age group of five to 12 years faced higher levels of abuse. What’s more, boys were equally at risk as girls. Sadly, most children suffer quietly. They don’t talk about the abuse. But we need to talk about it so that we can prevent and cure it,” explained Venkatraman.
CSA affects the child negatively, thereby causing many ill effects. “They include shame guilt and anger; fear shock and confusion; constant illnesses; future exploitative relationships; social with drawl and finally inappropriate sexualised behaviour,” added the counsellor.
The thrust of the workshop therefore was to create awareness about such behavioral changes in children among their parents.
“It is only then that CSA can be prevented. Recognising such an abusive situation is a skill that both parents and children must master. It can help them stay away from such situations. Understanding the concept of Safe Touch (ST) and Unsafe Touch (UT) is the first building block in overcome the menace”, explained Pushpa.
So just like a parent teaches the child traffic safety rules, they should similarly teach children about ST and UT, as well as the methods to take care of them.
“The child should be thus empowered to say ‘no’ to any action or touch that causes discomfort or unease to him or her. Parents, who are aware, can help a sexually abused child much better,” advocated Venkatraman. “It is of utmost importance to remember and remind the child that sexual abuse is not his/ her fault. Children will talk about sexual abuse only in an understanding and comfortable environment.”
Arpan’s road map for parents to help victims of abuse is by first recognising that child has been sexually abused.
“Then the child should be helped to talk about this experience. Finally, professional support should be sought help to heal the child”, advised Pushpa.
The victim should be helped to move on and live beyond the shadow of the trauma of sexual abuse with dignity.
“The child has the right to do so. If the intervention is not undertaken within two years of abuse, the suppressed memory is bound to play havoc in the latter parts of life,” she concluded.
One of the delegates, Kavita Nair Bhatia, said, “I am associated with an NGO. I attended the seminar in order to understand the identification part, as well as the right time for intervention”.
December 17, 2007
Dec 2, 2007
DNA
Sexual abuse is on the rise in city colleges
MUMBAI: According to a recent study on sexual harassment in Mumbai’s colleges conducted by Akshara, a city-based NGO, 61 per cent of the 533 female students interviewed had been sexually harassed in colleges, either by their peers or by staff. It’s not just girls who are being victimised. More than half of the 327 male students interviewed also admitted to having been sexually harassed during their college years.
Nineteen-year-old commerce student Ameeshi Khanna steers clear of her college staff room. This was where she was sexually harassed by her principal three months ago. It was only after weeks of counselling and reassurances from her teachers that she resumed attending lectures in the suburban college. The researchers spoke to students from 44 city colleges in South Mumbai, Western and Central suburbs, and Navi Mumbai, which included academic institutions like St Andrews, KC, St Xavier’s and Somaiya Colleges. The findings also revealed that 66.7 per cent of the male students admitted to have sexually harassed their victims ‘just for fun’.
Dr Nandita Gandhi, co-director of Akshara said: “Sexual harassment can range from eve-teasing to molestation and rape. A majority of the victims are females, while most of the male students are perpetrators.” The study stated that almost all the female students resort to absenteeism when sexually harassed.
DNA
Sexual abuse is on the rise in city colleges
MUMBAI: According to a recent study on sexual harassment in Mumbai’s colleges conducted by Akshara, a city-based NGO, 61 per cent of the 533 female students interviewed had been sexually harassed in colleges, either by their peers or by staff. It’s not just girls who are being victimised. More than half of the 327 male students interviewed also admitted to having been sexually harassed during their college years.
Nineteen-year-old commerce student Ameeshi Khanna steers clear of her college staff room. This was where she was sexually harassed by her principal three months ago. It was only after weeks of counselling and reassurances from her teachers that she resumed attending lectures in the suburban college. The researchers spoke to students from 44 city colleges in South Mumbai, Western and Central suburbs, and Navi Mumbai, which included academic institutions like St Andrews, KC, St Xavier’s and Somaiya Colleges. The findings also revealed that 66.7 per cent of the male students admitted to have sexually harassed their victims ‘just for fun’.
Dr Nandita Gandhi, co-director of Akshara said: “Sexual harassment can range from eve-teasing to molestation and rape. A majority of the victims are females, while most of the male students are perpetrators.” The study stated that almost all the female students resort to absenteeism when sexually harassed.
DNA dt 11th Dec 2007
Blood ties
On June 7, 2006, the convict had tried to rape his 13-year-old daughter while his wife and two other children were not at home. But the victim pleaded to the court to show leniency towards her father
A girl’s plea for leniency towards her father, who tried to rape her, has helped him get off lightly with a court awarding him a two- ear jail term and recommending counselling on family values. Moved by the 13-year-old victim’s plea that she still loved her father and wanted him back in the family, additional sessions Judge Reena Singh Nag observed that he should be aided effectively in assimilating into society during his sentence. “It is observed that the victim has shown her immense concern, love and affection for her father and stated while testifying in the court that she wants her father to mend his ways,” the court noted while citing various Supreme Court and Delhi high court judgments. Pointing the need for “correctional behavioural therapy” of the 32-year-old convict, the court has asked Tihar jail authorities to ensure that he attends meditation and yoga classes regularly. The jail authorities have also been directed to ensure that the convict gets counselling from psychologists. The court further directed the social welfare department to seek the assistance of NGOs and probation officers to take care of the basis needs of the family and the education of the convict’s four daughters. The convict was held guilty by the court on the basis of the testimonies of his daughter and wife.On June 7, 2006, the convict attempted to rape his daughter while his wife and two other daughters were not at home. The victim told her mother about the incident after she came back and a police case was lodged. The prosecution went on to prove the charges against the accused.
Blood ties
On June 7, 2006, the convict had tried to rape his 13-year-old daughter while his wife and two other children were not at home. But the victim pleaded to the court to show leniency towards her father
A girl’s plea for leniency towards her father, who tried to rape her, has helped him get off lightly with a court awarding him a two- ear jail term and recommending counselling on family values. Moved by the 13-year-old victim’s plea that she still loved her father and wanted him back in the family, additional sessions Judge Reena Singh Nag observed that he should be aided effectively in assimilating into society during his sentence. “It is observed that the victim has shown her immense concern, love and affection for her father and stated while testifying in the court that she wants her father to mend his ways,” the court noted while citing various Supreme Court and Delhi high court judgments. Pointing the need for “correctional behavioural therapy” of the 32-year-old convict, the court has asked Tihar jail authorities to ensure that he attends meditation and yoga classes regularly. The jail authorities have also been directed to ensure that the convict gets counselling from psychologists. The court further directed the social welfare department to seek the assistance of NGOs and probation officers to take care of the basis needs of the family and the education of the convict’s four daughters. The convict was held guilty by the court on the basis of the testimonies of his daughter and wife.On June 7, 2006, the convict attempted to rape his daughter while his wife and two other daughters were not at home. The victim told her mother about the incident after she came back and a police case was lodged. The prosecution went on to prove the charges against the accused.
November 23, 2007
Guard the innocents A Correspondent
Posted On Friday, November 23, 2007
Recent incidents on abuse of children in our suburbs has prompted residents to issue a wake-up call against child abuse
The recent incident where the bus driver of a reputed school in Powai molested four school children has sent shock waves among both parents and teachers. The school did take action, but this has not healed the scars this incident has left on innocent minds.
Also, a recent survey by the Mumbai Parents Teachers Association shows over the past two years, sexual abuse of school children has increased by 20 per cent of which five per cent of the accused have been bus drivers.
Posted On Friday, November 23, 2007
Recent incidents on abuse of children in our suburbs has prompted residents to issue a wake-up call against child abuse
The recent incident where the bus driver of a reputed school in Powai molested four school children has sent shock waves among both parents and teachers. The school did take action, but this has not healed the scars this incident has left on innocent minds.
Also, a recent survey by the Mumbai Parents Teachers Association shows over the past two years, sexual abuse of school children has increased by 20 per cent of which five per cent of the accused have been bus drivers.
The figures tally with the Central Government figures which point out that India has the dubious distinction of having the world's largest number of sexually abused children with a child below 16 years raped every 155 minutes, a child below 10 every 13th hour, and one in every 10 children sexually abused at any point in time. These figures resoundingly break the silence that surrounds sexual abuse of children and perpetuates the evil.
In view of these incidents, many institutions in the eastern suburbs tied up with psychologists in an attempt to prevent such crimes on the occasion of the International Day for Prevention of Child Abuse.
"It is time we acknowledged the problem and did something about it," says Dr Preethi Menon, a Mulund-based paediatric psychiatrist dealing with child sexual abuse. Sexual abuse can take several forms - from verbal, visual, tactile, exhibitionist and pornographic offences and fondling to anything that sexually stimulates the offender.
The strategy of the offender can vary from tricking, luring, forcing and pressuring to threatening the victim. According to Dr Menon, it is an abuse of power and a violation of the child's right to a normal and trusting relationship.
"It is time we acknowledged the problem and did something about it," says Dr Preethi Menon, a Mulund-based paediatric psychiatrist dealing with child sexual abuse. Sexual abuse can take several forms - from verbal, visual, tactile, exhibitionist and pornographic offences and fondling to anything that sexually stimulates the offender.
The strategy of the offender can vary from tricking, luring, forcing and pressuring to threatening the victim. According to Dr Menon, it is an abuse of power and a violation of the child's right to a normal and trusting relationship.
The issue is that prevention can be focussed at three levels. At the primary level, the focus can be on removing the causes, strengthening the child's competence to recognise and react, increasing parental awareness, strengthening social vigilance, and bringing in effective and punitive penal policy. At the secondary level, the emphasis should be on early detection, quick intervention and provision of a supportive environment in schools and families.
Tertiary intervention should involve coordination among the police, courts, counsellors, doctors and social workers.It is the children of the lower socio-economic strata who suffer the maximum.
Says Sonali Jaiswal, a resident of Mulund, "Often we come across victims of child abuse. In such cases we must draw attention of those who can provide aid. I once reported such a matter to the NGO Arpan.
(It works towards this cause in Mumbai by conducting teacher-training programmes in schools and awareness talks amongst parents and individuals).They gave her proper attention and gave psychiatric treatment to her."
Tertiary intervention should involve coordination among the police, courts, counsellors, doctors and social workers.It is the children of the lower socio-economic strata who suffer the maximum.
Says Sonali Jaiswal, a resident of Mulund, "Often we come across victims of child abuse. In such cases we must draw attention of those who can provide aid. I once reported such a matter to the NGO Arpan.
(It works towards this cause in Mumbai by conducting teacher-training programmes in schools and awareness talks amongst parents and individuals).They gave her proper attention and gave psychiatric treatment to her."
Says Pooja Taparia, director, Arpan, "The parents should teach their child personal safety just like they teach them how to cross the road or to stay away from fire. The parents should ensure a good rapport with your child so that chances are high that the child might report abuse. Most children don't talk about it.
They are confused and do not know how to speak about it. The problem is neither the schools nor the parents acknowledge the seriousness of the problem."mp.plus@gmail.com
They are confused and do not know how to speak about it. The problem is neither the schools nor the parents acknowledge the seriousness of the problem."mp.plus@gmail.com
October 30, 2007
Infotech
Internet watchdog reports big jump in porn, racist websites
Agence France-PresseLast updated 07:01am (Mla time) 09/20/2007
DUBLIN -- Substantial increases in racist and pornographic websites were reported on Wednesday by an international watchdog in its first detailed analysis of illegal activity on the Internet.
INHOPE, the International Association of Internet Hotlines, said monthly trends of processed reports over a 28-month period to December 2006 showed racism and xenophobia grew by 33 percent, adult pornography by 24 percent and child pornography by 15 percent.
It said a "staggering 9,600" confirmed reports of child pornography were processed per month.
INHOPE says the report is the first step towards "a global action plan to eradicate illegal activity from the Internet.
"It is a landmark publication for policy makers, governments and industry."
Nikos Frydas, co-author of the report, said INHOPE hotlines collect reports about illegal and harmful content in over 25 countries around the world including members from Europe, Asia, North America and Australia.
"INHOPE is now in the unique position to accurately describe the illegal and harmful sectors of the Internet."
The report says that in the 28 months the INHOPE network received 900,000 reports from the general public.
There were 160,000 reports forwarded to law enforcement agencies for action, an average of 5,800 per month.
The report said 20,000 reports processed a month, or 21 percent, were about illegal or harmful content.
Half of these contained child pornography, 19 percent contained other child-related content and 28 percent contained adult pornography.
The INHOPE Association of Internet Hotlines, coordinated from Ireland, was founded in 1999.
It receives funding from the EU Safer Internet Plus Programme.
DNA dt.30th Oct, 2007
US agents use Internet to wage undercover war on child porn
US criminal investigator Flint Waters surfs the Internet, and is an undercover agent who investigates online sex crimes against children. Waters goes for stress counselling ever so often to get some of the images he's seen in a day's work out of his head, because the reality of his line of work is in sharpo contrast to the job description.
Pros :
The Internet has made it easier for law enforcement officials to track and arrest would-be-child predators, but a lack of manpower means that only two percent of known offenders are investigated and brought to justice
Cons :
But the Internet has also made it easier for predators to find their victims and to learn 'how to do their crimes better and be harder to catch.' Now, the predators know what they can get on the net, find people with the same interest and 'normalise' their view.
Internet watchdog reports big jump in porn, racist websites
Agence France-PresseLast updated 07:01am (Mla time) 09/20/2007
DUBLIN -- Substantial increases in racist and pornographic websites were reported on Wednesday by an international watchdog in its first detailed analysis of illegal activity on the Internet.
INHOPE, the International Association of Internet Hotlines, said monthly trends of processed reports over a 28-month period to December 2006 showed racism and xenophobia grew by 33 percent, adult pornography by 24 percent and child pornography by 15 percent.
It said a "staggering 9,600" confirmed reports of child pornography were processed per month.
INHOPE says the report is the first step towards "a global action plan to eradicate illegal activity from the Internet.
"It is a landmark publication for policy makers, governments and industry."
Nikos Frydas, co-author of the report, said INHOPE hotlines collect reports about illegal and harmful content in over 25 countries around the world including members from Europe, Asia, North America and Australia.
"INHOPE is now in the unique position to accurately describe the illegal and harmful sectors of the Internet."
The report says that in the 28 months the INHOPE network received 900,000 reports from the general public.
There were 160,000 reports forwarded to law enforcement agencies for action, an average of 5,800 per month.
The report said 20,000 reports processed a month, or 21 percent, were about illegal or harmful content.
Half of these contained child pornography, 19 percent contained other child-related content and 28 percent contained adult pornography.
The INHOPE Association of Internet Hotlines, coordinated from Ireland, was founded in 1999.
It receives funding from the EU Safer Internet Plus Programme.
DNA dt.30th Oct, 2007
US agents use Internet to wage undercover war on child porn
US criminal investigator Flint Waters surfs the Internet, and is an undercover agent who investigates online sex crimes against children. Waters goes for stress counselling ever so often to get some of the images he's seen in a day's work out of his head, because the reality of his line of work is in sharpo contrast to the job description.
Pros :
The Internet has made it easier for law enforcement officials to track and arrest would-be-child predators, but a lack of manpower means that only two percent of known offenders are investigated and brought to justice
Cons :
But the Internet has also made it easier for predators to find their victims and to learn 'how to do their crimes better and be harder to catch.' Now, the predators know what they can get on the net, find people with the same interest and 'normalise' their view.
October 23, 2007
DNA
Adolescent boys, not girls, are bigger victims of forced sex
Vineeta Pandey
Monday, October 22, 2007 03:43 IST
Opposite sex friends most likely perpetrators for boys; neighbours for girls
NEW DELHI: Urban Indian teenagers are being hounded by demands for non-consensual sex, with boys apparently being more at risk. According to a study conducted by researchers at Johns Hopkins University of the US, 15% of boys and 3% of girls reported that someone forcibly tried to have a physical relationship with them. Boys who had friends of the opposite sex were more likely to report attempted forced physical relationships. In fact, the most commonly reported perpetrators were female friends for boys (72%) and neighbours (60%) for girls.
Writing in the Journal for Adolescent Health, Dr PH Jaya and Michelle J Hindon said 32% of boys and 42% of girls reported being touched against their will. Boys and girls who had been employed and those who had friends of the opposite sex were more likely to report the experience. When it came to unwelcome touch, the most common perpetrators were female friends for boys (60%) and strangers for girls (93%).
The study, which covered 583 boys and 474 girls in Delhi in the age group of 15-19, does not detail who these ‘female friends’ might be or their ages. It merely states that these female friends could be dating partners, friends of the same age or older to them.
While underlining the negative effects of non-consensual sex on the minds of adolescents, Samir Parekh, consultant psychiatrist, Max Healthcare, New Delhi, finds the results among boys surprising. “If same age children are touching or having sex, then it is surprising that a 16-year-old girl will like it and a 16-year boy will not. The boy may be reluctant but it sounds culturally inappropriate to say he was forced into it by a female friend of the same age”.
HINDUSTAN TIMES
Oct 22nd,2007
Saikat Neogi
Home to the second-largest child population globally, India is the world’s sixth most dangerous place for children. They constitute 40% of human trafficking victims.
A study by Shakti Vahini, an NGO working on anti-trafficking issues, found tht 378 of India’s 600 districts are affected by human trafficking. About 3-5 lakh girl children are, even by conservative standards in commercial sex and organized prostitution. For rescued children, rehabilitation remains scarce and reintegration arduous.
A study by the Ministry of Women and Child Development says 54% children have faced one or more forms of sexual abuse with states like A.P, Bihar, Assam and Delhi being frontrunners.
Adolescent boys, not girls, are bigger victims of forced sex
Vineeta Pandey
Monday, October 22, 2007 03:43 IST
Opposite sex friends most likely perpetrators for boys; neighbours for girls
NEW DELHI: Urban Indian teenagers are being hounded by demands for non-consensual sex, with boys apparently being more at risk. According to a study conducted by researchers at Johns Hopkins University of the US, 15% of boys and 3% of girls reported that someone forcibly tried to have a physical relationship with them. Boys who had friends of the opposite sex were more likely to report attempted forced physical relationships. In fact, the most commonly reported perpetrators were female friends for boys (72%) and neighbours (60%) for girls.
Writing in the Journal for Adolescent Health, Dr PH Jaya and Michelle J Hindon said 32% of boys and 42% of girls reported being touched against their will. Boys and girls who had been employed and those who had friends of the opposite sex were more likely to report the experience. When it came to unwelcome touch, the most common perpetrators were female friends for boys (60%) and strangers for girls (93%).
The study, which covered 583 boys and 474 girls in Delhi in the age group of 15-19, does not detail who these ‘female friends’ might be or their ages. It merely states that these female friends could be dating partners, friends of the same age or older to them.
While underlining the negative effects of non-consensual sex on the minds of adolescents, Samir Parekh, consultant psychiatrist, Max Healthcare, New Delhi, finds the results among boys surprising. “If same age children are touching or having sex, then it is surprising that a 16-year-old girl will like it and a 16-year boy will not. The boy may be reluctant but it sounds culturally inappropriate to say he was forced into it by a female friend of the same age”.
HINDUSTAN TIMES
Oct 22nd,2007
Saikat Neogi
Home to the second-largest child population globally, India is the world’s sixth most dangerous place for children. They constitute 40% of human trafficking victims.
A study by Shakti Vahini, an NGO working on anti-trafficking issues, found tht 378 of India’s 600 districts are affected by human trafficking. About 3-5 lakh girl children are, even by conservative standards in commercial sex and organized prostitution. For rescued children, rehabilitation remains scarce and reintegration arduous.
A study by the Ministry of Women and Child Development says 54% children have faced one or more forms of sexual abuse with states like A.P, Bihar, Assam and Delhi being frontrunners.
October 4, 2007
Lust for minors growing in India, says survey
Chetan Chauhan, Hindustan Times
New Delhi, October 03, 2007
Chetan Chauhan, Hindustan Times
New Delhi, October 03, 2007
Unlike rest of the world, the lust of men in South Asia, especially India, is growing for younger women, said Gary Lewis, South Asia head of United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) on Wednesday. This is resulting in trafficking syndicates targeting younger women in Nepal, Bangladesh, West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh, trafficking hot spots in south Asia.
Lewis said that a recent study of trafficked women in Nepal to India had revealed that there is an increased demand for younger women. In 1980s, women between 14-16 were preferred, then the age in 1990s went down to 10-14 and now it is even less than 10 years. “I have come across cases where even five year-old girls have been trafficked for sexual exploitation,” Lewis told HT but added that such cases are not very rampant.
Desire for younger women is not the prime reason. The growing fear of catching sexually transmitted diseases from older women and belief that having sex with younger women is a cure for many diseases had caused this increase in demand.
What most of these girls get in return at a tender age is the dreaded HIV/AIDS. Study of trafficked women in Nepal showed that 60 per cent of positive HIV cases were of girls below the age of 15. And, all of them had got the disease from their male clients going for unprotected sex because the kids are not in a position to protest.
To have an organized effort against trafficking, UNODC will launch a unique programme next week called UN Gift. “Corporate, civil society and government will join hand to check growing trafficking in south Asia,” he said.
October 1, 2007
Sept 17
DNA - 17 year old gang raped in Faridabad by three men while on her way to meet a friend
Sept 18
Hindustan Times / Times of India – A Dalit girl, a student of Class X committed suicide after she was allegedly raped by her two OBC classmates, while she was walking to school 2 km away
DNA - Jammu: Bashir Ahme , a teacher, who had been absconding after allegedly attempting to rape a minor (9 year old) school girl at his house in Ramban district, was arrested on Monday. He had called her home on the pretext of free tuitions.
HT Café
Shocking ! School girl porn from all over …here
Highly – priced videos shot with hidden cameras showing ‘school girls’ in various stages of undress and graphic scenes of sexuality from Asia, including Kerala and Mumbai, are selling like the proverbial ‘hot cakes’. The video discs cost between Rs.100 and Rs.500 each – the more explicit the more expensive. One vendor said he sells 50 such VCD daily.
Sept 22
DNA - Jabalpur : A priest, Umanand, 40, of the Pragyadham ashram in Katangi has been arrested for raping a 14 year old student of Pragyanand Girls residential school.
Sept 24
Times of India - Mumbai: A 32 year vada pav vendor, Motilal Singh has been arrested on charges of repeatedly raping his 12 year old daughter over the past four years at their Khar (E) home. The mother was aware of it, but her father had threatened the family into silence. The girl finally ran away from the house and was rescued from Lower Parel station by NGO Saathi.
Sept 28
Hindustan Times - Aksar Bhagat (22), a Titwala resident was arrested on Wednesday for allegedly raping a 15 yar old mentally and physically challenged girl in Ulhasnagar. Bhagat allegedly lured the girl with sweets.
Times of India - Bogota: Colombia’s capital has come up with an innovative way to fight child sex abuse with billboards displaying the photos and personal details of convicted . Some estimates talk of 2.0Lac cases of CSA per year in Columbia , more often than not committed within the family. Child rights groups say there is a big problem of denial over the issue within Colombia’s conservative society.
Sept 29
Times of India / Hindustan Times – A 6 year old was allegedly raped and thrown on a railway track in Kanpur’s Dadanagar area by a rickshaw puller.
Sept 30
Times of India - Las Vegas : A young girl who was seen being sexually assaulted in a homemade video tape has been found and is safe with relatives and sheriff’s officials, authorities said on Friday. She was 3 when the tape was made and is now 7. The accused, Chester Arthur Stiles had tenuous ties with the family through friends and though considered a suspect, is still at large
DNA - 17 year old gang raped in Faridabad by three men while on her way to meet a friend
Sept 18
Hindustan Times / Times of India – A Dalit girl, a student of Class X committed suicide after she was allegedly raped by her two OBC classmates, while she was walking to school 2 km away
DNA - Jammu: Bashir Ahme , a teacher, who had been absconding after allegedly attempting to rape a minor (9 year old) school girl at his house in Ramban district, was arrested on Monday. He had called her home on the pretext of free tuitions.
HT Café
Shocking ! School girl porn from all over …here
Highly – priced videos shot with hidden cameras showing ‘school girls’ in various stages of undress and graphic scenes of sexuality from Asia, including Kerala and Mumbai, are selling like the proverbial ‘hot cakes’. The video discs cost between Rs.100 and Rs.500 each – the more explicit the more expensive. One vendor said he sells 50 such VCD daily.
Sept 22
DNA - Jabalpur : A priest, Umanand, 40, of the Pragyadham ashram in Katangi has been arrested for raping a 14 year old student of Pragyanand Girls residential school.
Sept 24
Times of India - Mumbai: A 32 year vada pav vendor, Motilal Singh has been arrested on charges of repeatedly raping his 12 year old daughter over the past four years at their Khar (E) home. The mother was aware of it, but her father had threatened the family into silence. The girl finally ran away from the house and was rescued from Lower Parel station by NGO Saathi.
Sept 28
Hindustan Times - Aksar Bhagat (22), a Titwala resident was arrested on Wednesday for allegedly raping a 15 yar old mentally and physically challenged girl in Ulhasnagar. Bhagat allegedly lured the girl with sweets.
Times of India - Bogota: Colombia’s capital has come up with an innovative way to fight child sex abuse with billboards displaying the photos and personal details of convicted . Some estimates talk of 2.0Lac cases of CSA per year in Columbia , more often than not committed within the family. Child rights groups say there is a big problem of denial over the issue within Colombia’s conservative society.
Sept 29
Times of India / Hindustan Times – A 6 year old was allegedly raped and thrown on a railway track in Kanpur’s Dadanagar area by a rickshaw puller.
Sept 30
Times of India - Las Vegas : A young girl who was seen being sexually assaulted in a homemade video tape has been found and is safe with relatives and sheriff’s officials, authorities said on Friday. She was 3 when the tape was made and is now 7. The accused, Chester Arthur Stiles had tenuous ties with the family through friends and though considered a suspect, is still at large
September 17, 2007
Pre-offence’ Net abuse of child a crime
Aloke Tikku and Chetan Chauhan, Hindustan Times
New Delhi, September 17, 2007
Soon the Net will become safer for your child. The Government has accepted a parliamentary panel’s suggestion that pre-offence “grooming” over the Net should be made a criminal offence.
Several countries, including the UK, US and Australia, have already criminalised online “grooming” — a term to describe Internet predators communicating with children online to gain their trust, breaking down their defences and then manipulating them into real-life sexual encounters.
The Department of Information Technology has also promised to consider making the sharing of information about websites for downloading pornography a criminal offence. A common strategy to lead children to believe that it was all right to expose themselves was to show them movies and images of other children indulging in sexual acts.
There are no studies to indicate the kind of risk that Indian children face in the borderless cyberspace.
"That does not imply the problem does not exist," siad Vidya Reddy, executive director of the Chennai - headquartered TULIR Centre for the Prevention and Healing Child Sexual Abuse.
Indians have had a very understated view of the extent of child abuse in India. "The problems are real ... you obviously do not see the problem if you close your eyes," she said. That is why the first national survey on child abuse this year served as a wake-up call. Nearly half of the over 12,000 children surveyed across 13 states acknowledged they had been sexually abused.
Aloke Tikku and Chetan Chauhan, Hindustan Times
New Delhi, September 17, 2007
Soon the Net will become safer for your child. The Government has accepted a parliamentary panel’s suggestion that pre-offence “grooming” over the Net should be made a criminal offence.
Several countries, including the UK, US and Australia, have already criminalised online “grooming” — a term to describe Internet predators communicating with children online to gain their trust, breaking down their defences and then manipulating them into real-life sexual encounters.
The Department of Information Technology has also promised to consider making the sharing of information about websites for downloading pornography a criminal offence. A common strategy to lead children to believe that it was all right to expose themselves was to show them movies and images of other children indulging in sexual acts.
There are no studies to indicate the kind of risk that Indian children face in the borderless cyberspace.
"That does not imply the problem does not exist," siad Vidya Reddy, executive director of the Chennai - headquartered TULIR Centre for the Prevention and Healing Child Sexual Abuse.
Indians have had a very understated view of the extent of child abuse in India. "The problems are real ... you obviously do not see the problem if you close your eyes," she said. That is why the first national survey on child abuse this year served as a wake-up call. Nearly half of the over 12,000 children surveyed across 13 states acknowledged they had been sexually abused.
September 13, 2007
Hindustan Times dt.12th Sept
Govt steps in to save schoolkids / Norms set to curb sex abuse of children
Chetan Chauhan
Parents need to keep an eye on sudden behavioural changes in their children, schools should get the antecedents of staff verified and keep the corridors well-lit, and both parents and schools should work to prevent sexual abuse of schoolchildren. These are part of a set of guidelines the government is planning to send to schools across the country to ensure that children are safe outside home.
About 49 per cent students in India have been sexually abused in school, according to a recent government study on Child Abuse.
The guidelines were drafted after HT reported on July 25 the case of a student who was sexually abused by employees of his Kingsway Camp school. An inquiry panel of the Women and Child Development Ministry, which looked into the case, found faults with the school, and recommended suspension of its licence.
The panel, headed by Lovleen Kacker, also drafted the guidelines. They include setting up of a committee, comprising teachers and parents, in each school to look into complaints by students. The panel also wants that schools should have qualified counselors to guide parents and children through situation of distress, including sexual abuse. Medical facility in schools has been prescribed as a mandatory condition in the guidelines.
The ministry has also made a strong case for a classroom environment where students can share personal matters with teachers. The students should also be taught safety rules for their protection. The guidelines suggest ways to check sexual abuse in schoolbus, hallways, hideaways and restrooms places identified in the child abuse study where the child is likely to be harmed.
Govt steps in to save schoolkids / Norms set to curb sex abuse of children
Chetan Chauhan
Parents need to keep an eye on sudden behavioural changes in their children, schools should get the antecedents of staff verified and keep the corridors well-lit, and both parents and schools should work to prevent sexual abuse of schoolchildren. These are part of a set of guidelines the government is planning to send to schools across the country to ensure that children are safe outside home.
About 49 per cent students in India have been sexually abused in school, according to a recent government study on Child Abuse.
The guidelines were drafted after HT reported on July 25 the case of a student who was sexually abused by employees of his Kingsway Camp school. An inquiry panel of the Women and Child Development Ministry, which looked into the case, found faults with the school, and recommended suspension of its licence.
The panel, headed by Lovleen Kacker, also drafted the guidelines. They include setting up of a committee, comprising teachers and parents, in each school to look into complaints by students. The panel also wants that schools should have qualified counselors to guide parents and children through situation of distress, including sexual abuse. Medical facility in schools has been prescribed as a mandatory condition in the guidelines.
The ministry has also made a strong case for a classroom environment where students can share personal matters with teachers. The students should also be taught safety rules for their protection. The guidelines suggest ways to check sexual abuse in schoolbus, hallways, hideaways and restrooms places identified in the child abuse study where the child is likely to be harmed.
DNA dt.13th Sept
Renuka targets Modi on child trafficking
Vineeta Pandey Thursday, September 13, 2007 05:55 IST
NEW DELHI: Dealing a blow to Narendra Modi's "Shining Gujarat" image, minister for Women and Child Development (WCD) Renuka Choudhury has sought investigation on child trafficking and sexual abuse in the state.
In a letter to the Gujarat chief minister on Wednesday, Choudhury said a large number of young tribal children are being trafficked from Rajasthan to Bt Cotton firms in north Gujarat.
"The children, mostly girls, are reportedly forced to slog for more than ten hours a day in hostile conditions. It is also apprehended that a large number of them are subjected to sexual abuse," the minister said.
Gujarat will go for assembly polls in November-December this year and sources in National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) said they would not let the issue get diluted in the poll frenzy.
Sources said the commission will also raise the issue with the state government and is likely to make surprise visits to Gujarat to expose the truth.
A study conducted by Shakti Vahini, an NGO, in 2006 revealed 378 of the 593 districts in India are affected by human trafficking. Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, West Bengal and TN are the states from where the maximum numbers of people are trafficked to other states.
Intra state/inter district trafficking has been found to be high in Rajasthan, Assam, Meghalaya, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra.
A National Human Rights Commission report said about 44,000 children in India go missing every year. There are more than four lakh child prostitutes in India with addition of one-lakh children every year.
Meanwhile, the WCD ministry is developing Gender Budgeting Manuals to ensure committed funds for women related schemes in all sectors. The manuals will help in institutionalising the concept of gender budgeting at all levels of governance.
The WCD ministry is working hard to eliminate all forms of discrimination.
Renuka targets Modi on child trafficking
Vineeta Pandey Thursday, September 13, 2007 05:55 IST
NEW DELHI: Dealing a blow to Narendra Modi's "Shining Gujarat" image, minister for Women and Child Development (WCD) Renuka Choudhury has sought investigation on child trafficking and sexual abuse in the state.
In a letter to the Gujarat chief minister on Wednesday, Choudhury said a large number of young tribal children are being trafficked from Rajasthan to Bt Cotton firms in north Gujarat.
"The children, mostly girls, are reportedly forced to slog for more than ten hours a day in hostile conditions. It is also apprehended that a large number of them are subjected to sexual abuse," the minister said.
Gujarat will go for assembly polls in November-December this year and sources in National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) said they would not let the issue get diluted in the poll frenzy.
Sources said the commission will also raise the issue with the state government and is likely to make surprise visits to Gujarat to expose the truth.
A study conducted by Shakti Vahini, an NGO, in 2006 revealed 378 of the 593 districts in India are affected by human trafficking. Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, West Bengal and TN are the states from where the maximum numbers of people are trafficked to other states.
Intra state/inter district trafficking has been found to be high in Rajasthan, Assam, Meghalaya, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra.
A National Human Rights Commission report said about 44,000 children in India go missing every year. There are more than four lakh child prostitutes in India with addition of one-lakh children every year.
Meanwhile, the WCD ministry is developing Gender Budgeting Manuals to ensure committed funds for women related schemes in all sectors. The manuals will help in institutionalising the concept of gender budgeting at all levels of governance.
The WCD ministry is working hard to eliminate all forms of discrimination.
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