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Agony Unreported!

Child abuse, which has seen an unprecedented rise, is still on the back burner for most of the victims’ families as they don’t consider it to be a crime. The Minuscule number of cases that come to the fore is just the tip of the iceberg. Rangoli Agrawal takes a look

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The One Stop Crisis Management Centre For Children (OSCMCC), has registered only 13 cases of physical abuse since 2014. The figures, though are minuscule in consideration of the common observation, are even less than cases of sexual abuse reported at the centre, which is 37.This is just the tip of the iceberg as most cases go unreported.

“The family comes for counselling but doesn’t want to go to the police in case of physical abuse. In fact, the police doesn’t take it very seriously either. In case of physical abuse, they find the procedure difficult to follow after an FIR is filed. The relatives also don’t accept it as a crime,” said Vijay Goyal, coordinator, OSCMCC.

Further, Taruna Nayal, support member, informed that in case of physical abuse, people are not aware that there are laws for the same. They don’t know that someone is here to fight for them, or what they have to say in court.

“Later, when they grow up, they realise what had happened to them. They then say ‘my uncle also used to hit me along with my father.’ They think it’s their love. Sometimes, when they share incidents with parents, the mothers just ask them not to meet the relative again, but never report the case,”Nayal said.

She also informed that the sexual abuse cases come when the victim loses her limit to take it further or when the mother finally realises, it’s time to report. Otherwise, cases happen but we never get to know about it because it’s never reported.

'Victims have psychological issues later in their lives’

Those involved in physical abuse have low IQ or are into substance abuse, say city-based psychiatrists. Further, physical or mental abuse victims end up having psychological issues in their later lives.

“People who are into substance abuse like alcohol or drugs, become less sensitive towards the pain and agony of others. Further, there are people who have certain personality problems like anti-social personality disorder do not care about anyone,” said Dr Manaswi Gautam. That said, children who undergo mental or physical trauma, they have a very dependent personality. Later on, they start avoiding social norms. They convert either into aggressive personality, or are vulnerable to bullying,” Gautam added. The victims are given role models as therapy, while the root cause is investigated in case of abusers. “After identifying the problem, the victim is given a role model to whom he can look upto, or teachers who can sympathise with him. The child is given a long-term therapy based on the nature of problem,” Gautam informed. In case of abusers, if the root cause is secondary to substance abuse, the patient is given behaviour modification after treating the abuse, he added.

Authorities consider it a minor offence

  • City-based lawyers dealing with child abuse victims believe it is the responsibility of welfare committees to evaluate cases.
  • “It is difficult for the child to legally complain. The child welfare committees have legal responsibility to officially file the complain on behalf of the child. They are also authorised for legal investigation. The families don’t lodge FIRs. The commission also does not focus on this,” said Tara Singh, state coordinator, Human Rights Law Network.

Difficult to evaluate 

  • It is difficult to evaluate the actual number of cases, as most incidents go unreported, informed Manan Chaturvedi, chairperson of Rajasthan State Commission for Protection of Child Rights.
  • “We are making efforts to have FIR for each case. When more such cases come out, people will begin to fear the law,” she said.
  • However, according to Chaturvedi, there is another side of the coin.
  • “Lines are being drawn on ways in which parents can speak to their wards, or ways in which teachers can behave with their students. We are on a central line,” she said.
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