BREAKING THE SILENCE – PREVALENCE OF SEXUAL ABUSE AMONG ADOLESCENT GIRLS, KERALA

Abstract

Background: Child Sexual Abuse (CSA) is one of the largest open social secrets that leaves enormous physiological and psychological impact on the health and development of children.  Worldwide, it has been documented that approximately 150 million girls and 73 million boys under 18 years of age experienced coercion in which (50%) of sexual abuse is perpetrated against young girls and majority of whom are adolescents.

Objective: The overall objective was to estimate the prevalence of sexual abuse; identify the abusers characteristics among adolescent girls in Kerala.

Participants and setting: Adolescent girls belonging to eight and ninth standard using a school-based survey.

Method: An Explorative Cross-Sectional design using a modified standardized tool and a multistage sampling technique was adapted for the present study.

Results: The prevalence of sexual abuse among adolescent girls was (17.15%). Majority (66.12%) of the victims has faced kissing/rubbing/caressing their body as the type of sexual abuse. The peak age of onset of abuse was prior to 10 years. Though a known friend (28.3%) was the culprit in showing pornographic film and taking photograph in nude, strangers (31.59%), were the principal abusers in exhibitionism.

Conclusion: This study reflects that sexual abuse is rampant everywhere and is high among adolescent school going children. As persons in trust are the principal abusers, it is the need of the hour to break the conspiracy of silence around the subject and making an end to one of the largest hidden secrets in India