Child Sexual Abuse in India childlineindia.org/a/issues/sexual-abuse
The World Health Organisation has defined child sexual abuse as the involvement of a child in sexual activity as he or she does not fully comprehend, is unable to give informed consent to, or for which the child is not developmentally prepared and cannot give consent, or that violates the laws or social taboos of society. It includes different sexual activities like fondling, inviting a child to touch or be touched sexually, intercourse, exhibitionism, involving a child in prostitution or pornography, or online child luring by cyber-predators.
The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012
In a landmark moment in India's history, The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 was passed by the Lok Sabha on 22nd May 2012.
The Bill was first presented in the Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha and then referred to a Parliamentary Standing Committee. The Standing Committee had submitted their report on the 21st of December, 2011. The Rajya Sabha gave its nod in May this year.
The Bill which remained pending for a long time is a necessity in a country where 40 percent of the population is below the age of 18. Also, in the absence of stringent laws against Child Sexual Abuse (CSA), over 53 per cent of children surveyed in 2007 stated that they had experienced one or more forms of sexual abuse.