“It has been more than 15 years and I can’t figure out how to erase those memories. People love their childhood and the memories related to it, I don’t and I don’t even talk about it. I was a victim of my own family member, trapped in my own home and a prisoner of my own mind. I tried telling my parents and was brushed off each time, I wish no child goes through it”- A survivor of CSA.
CSA or ‘Child Sexual Abuse’ is a frightening yet prevalent truth of our time, one in every 10 child goes through it and what is even more shocking is the fact that almost 90% of the abuse victims know the abuser, either in the form of a close relative or through some other relation.
Moreover, 81% of child sexual abuse incidents for all ages occur in one perpetrator to one-child circumstances and most of the abuse occurs in a residence, typically that of the victim or perpetrator – 84% for children under age 12 to 17, there is also a peak in assaults in the late evening hours. And if you thought that it is only our girls or females who are not safe, you are wrong because statistics prove that out of every 10 CSA victims, one is a boy.
All these statistics point out to one simple fact- Our children are not safe! Be it in their homes, schools or any place else. Mostly, these incidents are ignored and swept under the rug because our society is too reluctant to talk about it and by some miracle a child gathers the courage to report it, societal pressure, honour and fear compel the parents to keep mum about it. This scars the children forever and hampers their growth, both mental and physical.
In a society that is too scared to speak up, Ruchir Arun has spoken volumes about the trauma faced by children through his short film- 5’o clock Accidents, which is presented by Nirman Foundation. In a hauntingly beautiful manner he conveys the fear, pain and isolation faced by the victim. Watch this movie below and share to spread awareness.
