Curbing sexual violence targeting non-adults

An effective response to curb prevalence has to be systemic rather than standalone measures undertaken by the State

A study published in The Lancet has found that nearly a third of girls and a seventh of boys (under-18 individuals in the case of both sexes) in India have suffered sexual violence (unwanted physical sexual acts). This is much higher than the global average of 19% for girls and 15% for boys though it isn’t very different from many high-income countries such as the US, France, Australia, and Norway. Read along with the fact that many other jurisdictions with less strident societal and governance frameworks to protect children — some of them conflict zones reporting crises of child trafficking — throw up lower prevalence, this could also indicate robust reporting in India.

A badly needed intervention among adolescents and youth today is correcting skewed notions of gender and gender performance, especially masculinity and the so-called incel culture (AFP)

India’s legal protections and remedies concerning sexual violence against minors, including the 2012 Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act, have plugged several gaps. However, many remain, including recognising certain forms of sexual violence that may not be as explicit as others, sensitisation of government personnel on handling such cases, etc. The legislature, executive, and judiciary, all have a role in addressing these gaps.

An effective response to curb prevalence has to be systemic — one that includes a prevention-focus through awareness and sensitisation — rather than standalone measures undertaken by the State. This calls for open conversations on sexual violence, destigmatising disclosure and reporting, and engendering attitudes and behaviour early on that are sensitive to gender and sexual violence. To illustrate, a badly needed intervention among adolescents and youth today is correcting skewed notions of gender and gender performance, especially masculinity and the so-called incel culture that is gradually taking hold across geographic and linguistic borders, thanks to social media. Without societal corrections, governance measures will always fall short of curbing such violence.