Anna Chandy
Studies indicate that more than half the Indian children have experienced sexual abuse. Why are children particularly vulnerable?
Perpetrators are very often members of the family or individuals close to them. Children don't suspect them. They are drawn to them and trust them, which makes them more vulnerable to abuse. Society tends to believe that it is the domestic help and school staff who are most likely to abuse children. However, data shows that more often it is individuals who are close to the family who end up as perpetrators. In a collective society like India, because the incidents of abuse are by members close or known to the family, in order to maintain the family honour these are often minimised or swept under the rug and not addressed. And thus the cycle of abuse continues.
How can a child be protected?
From an early age, children need to be made aware of their own bodies and boundaries around their personal space. They need to be educated and informed about the difference between 'good touch and bad touch' and [told to] alert adults if they feel uncomfortable with anyone. Children need to be encouraged to share their feelings without the fear of being judged. When they share any difficult situation, adults should not dismiss, minimise or justify the experience.
Most sexual harassment survivors say they froze during the assault. Does confronting an abuser put one in a more vulnerable position?
The reaction during a sexual assault can be either freeze or flight. Studies indicate that confronting the abuser while the harassment is taking place does create some sort of hesitance in the abuser as they believe the victim is not 'easy'. Having said that, it is not easy for everyone to confront an abuser, as they are not only overcome by fear but also by shame and guilt.
What are the emotional and psychological effects of sexual harassment?
Sexual harassment has multiple effects. It is a very complex trauma experience. The victims feel shame, guilt, fear, anger, confusion, rage and sadness. They keep revisiting the incident and keep questioning themselves [on whether] they could have done something differently. In some ways, they hold themselves responsible. They are also overcome by self-doubt. Along with this, they exhibit physical symptoms of nausea, severe headaches, heart palpitations and other psychosomatic disorders.
How do psychotherapies help?
After an experience such as abuse, for some people, it takes many months and for others, many years to function as before. Various psychotherapies help the victim recover from the experience through empathy, deconfusion and other healing techniques. This slowly promotes the individual to be able to view and revisit the experience from a distance. The therapies also, through psychoeducation, help the individual to learn skills and options to protect themselves from other negative harmful experiences.
