Challenges in Dealing with Child Sexual Abuse

Tevin John Bivera
B.A. (PSychology)
Malavika C
CMR Law School, Bangaluru
Karnataka, India

Volume II – Issue II, 2019

This research focuses to evaluate the gap loopholes in the forensic field in proving cases dealing with child sexual abuse. It emphasises the challenges created by the systematic and cultural issues. From the systematic point of view, it explains the technical difficulties posed by our existing systems. on the other hand, it focuses on the issues posed by the  much patriarchal and conservative society of India which makes reporting of these cases very difficult. CSA is more rampant than any of us would like to believe. Studies indicate 34 percent of offenders are family members, 59 percent acquaintances. According to a population based study from 19 countries, only about half of victims had disclosed their abuse to anyone  In a review of sexual practices and offences in India, it was reported that during trials, alleged sexual offenders often say they were not aware that they committed an offence. Cultural norms affect the likelihood that CSA will be discovered by an adult or disclosed by a child. Cultural norms also affect whether abused children’s families will report child sexual abuse to authorities. Cultural practices are no longer restricted to one geographical collection of people due to migratory influence, as these practices may also spread to different groups who intermingle. Understanding the concept of CSA continues to be a challenge in many cultures. Thus approaching a psychologist would be extremely difficult for many people and building rapture with the child would be evidently difficult due to the diversification and intensity of the case.

 

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