INTRODUCTION : Despite reporting of child abuse in India at around 14% to 28% in various researches, only 211 sexual assault cases were booked in Tamilnadu as per the Crime Report, 2016, indicating huge under reporting. Children lack awareness on how and whom to approach in case of an abuse which is compounded by the fact that in a many times, the abuse is perperated by the parents and/or close relatives of the child. One of the major problems in Indian context has been the low level of self-disclosure by children, particularly the schoolgoing girls. The Union Ministry of Social Welfare has been taking efforts to improve self disclosure of child abuse through awareness creation by respective school teachers and Community organisations like NGO’s, Self Help Groups etc. Inspite of all these measures, self reporting of abuse is significantly less.
OBJECTIVES : This study establishes the prevalence and determinants of child sexual and physical abuse among adolescent school going girls and explores the reasons for nondisclosure of abuse.
METHOD : The study was conducted as a cross sectional study among adolescent girls studying in classes of 9th, 10th and 11th grades in a Government Higher Secondary school in Greater Chennai Corporation. School for the study was selected by simple random sampling. Data was collected from 300 students using a semi structured questionnaire and analysed using SPSS software.
RESULTS : : Regarding awareness on child abuse, 86.33% children were aware about physical abuse and 93.66% children were aware about sexual abuse. More than 85% children stated that they have already identified the first person to whom they may reveal if they encounter an incident of child abuse. About 13% of children interviewed revealed about child abuse; 9.66% children had suffered from physical abuse and 5.66% had suffered sexual abuse and 2.33% children had suffered both physical and sexual abuse. Among physically abused, slapping was the most common type of physical abuse which was experienced by 82.14% of children and 17.85% of the children had faced serious physical abuse in the form of being locked up in a room, being tied up and suffering burns. Of the 17 children who had suffered sexual abuse, 17.64% revealed been abused more than once. Only 82.14% children among physically abused and 56.52% of sexually abused had disclosed about their abuse that too mainly to their peer group friends. Prevalence of child abuse is statistically significant among children not residing with their parents.
CONCLUSION : Structuring proper solutions to address child abuse is the need of the hour. Also, a child friendly social system which encourages the child to reveal abuse at earlier stage and guides to safeguard from getting victimised should be developed.