Ministry of Women and Child Development, 2007 Study
Research On Child Sexual Abuse In India
Child sexual violence (CSV) is associated with social harm and negative effects on mental health and physical health. One of the primary steps in inform any prevention and management interventions in India is to review the existing research. Further to this aim, a literature review was undertaken by Public Health Foundation of India to understand future CSV prevention and management interventions in India. The study aimed to systematically review the prior decade of published literature between 2000-2016 that examined experience of sexual violence or perpetration of sexual violence against an individual age of 18 years or above. The aim of the systematic review was to understand the prevalence, risk and protective factors, experience of child sexual violence, causes of perpetration and its impact on public health in India. The review also looked to explore interventions that aim to prevent and manage sexual violence against children and address child sexual violence in India. The preliminary findings of this study suggest that CSV is prevalent in both boys and girls in India. This review also highlights the need for use of a standardized CSV definition to compare study findings across regions and contexts and also to identify populations and contexts where additional research is required thereby emphasizing the importance of developing or adapting ethical guidelines for the conduct and reporting of CSV studies in India.
Team members: Prof. Vikram Patel (Co-Director, Center for Chronic Conditions and Injuries, PHFI) Radhika Dayal (Research Associate, PHFI), Divya Pillai(Research Fellow, PHFI), Vikas Choudhry(Project Director-PRIDE, PHFI) and Ameeta Kalokhe (Assistant Professor, Emory University)