Social stigma, poor awareness deter families from reporting sexual abuse of boys

Police said the parents of the minor boy who was raped in Seelampur area did not tell doctors about the sexual assault. Doctors also said the family did not seek immediate medical help for the child, and the delay worsened his condition.

The rape and subsequent death of a 10-year-old boy from Seelampur have once again brought to fore the issue of sexual abuse of boys, incidents of which often go unreported in the country owing to poor awareness and fear of social stigma.

Dr Nimesh G Desai, senior consultant psychiatrist and former director, Institute of Human Behaviour and Allied Sciences, Delhi, said coverup of sexual abuse incidents was one of the biggest obstacles in getting victims timely help. (HT Photo)

Even in the case of the 10-year-old, police said his parents did not tell doctors about the sexual assault and they learnt about it from the boy. Doctors also said the family did not seek immediate medical help for the child, and the delay worsened his condition.

Dr Nimesh G Desai, senior consultant psychiatrist and former director, Institute of Human Behaviour and Allied Sciences, Delhi, said coverup of sexual abuse incidents was one of the biggest obstacles in getting victims timely help.

“Incidents of sexual abuse are often covered up and while the practice is common across all societies and cultures across the world, it is more pronounced and prevalent in India. Justice is delayed and the victim and their kin suffer for years,” said Desai.

He said the low conviction rate in such cases and the long-winded judicial process also deterred families from reporting or pursuing cases of sexual abuse. “Legal provisions or Acts don’t change social realities. Societal attitudes change only through awareness and acceptance,” said Desai.

He said awareness is so poor among the public that many believe that boys cannot be, or are never, sexually abused.

“There is a myth or perception that sexual abuse only happens to girls/women. That perception has to be changed. There is a lot of documented research and ground level experience, which shows that abuse of young boys is as widespread as sexual abuse of girls,” said Desai.

“One needs to be mindful towards children, be it girl or boy. It’s important that they are not overlooked when they open up about abuse,” said Desai.

In the Seelampur case, the victim was allegedly raped by three friends, including a cousin. All three accused are in the 10-12 year age group. According to investigators, the mother was hesitant to share details of the incident as one of the suspects was her nephew. Desai said this was a common pattern in a majority of child sexual abuse cases.

“Another myth that persists in society is that unknown people are often the perpetrators of sexual violence. But around 80-90% cases of child sexual abuse involve people known to the child and the family. In such situations, there is an exploitation of the trust reposed by the child and the family,” said Desai.

He said the involvement of relatives or neighbours often led to parents “trivialising”the child’s concerns. “ The trauma of the child multiplies manifold when the family and society refuse to trust him. Children also face taunts owing to the “sense of shame” associated with sexual abuse,” he said.

Dr Samir Parikh, director of the department of mental health and behavioural sciences, Fortis Healthcare, said individuals did not opt for intervention when confronted with bullying or sexual abuse due to stigmatisation.

“There is victim-blaming and society tends to look down upon such individuals. Gender stereotypes are also common due to which various acts of sexual transgressions do not come to light,” said Parikh. He said it was important for people to become more open and accepting of the fact that the victim was never the one at fault.

Educators say schools play a crucial role in driving conversations around bullying and abuse of children. “Parents are more aware now than ever before. They inform us if they feel anything is off or the child is facing any difficulty. We try to address these concerns through regular counselling sessions for children but it is important for parents to work in tandem and ensure that the child doesn’t suffer in silence,” said Tania Joshi, principal of The Indian School.