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BREAKING THE SILENCE

In every 15 minutes, a child is sexually abused in India(Bhatt 2018). In the majority of the cases, the abusers are personally known to the child or are in a position of authority. What is worse is that majority of child abuse cases go unreported both to the police and even with family members which means that many people are walking around with scares that they have never shared with anyone. A victim of child abuse finds it challenging to accept that it has happened. They childhood goes through myriad emotional and mental health problems often carried over into their adulthood. In this article I am sharing the real life experience of one such  victim through a fictitious story where the victim chooses to fight against sexual abuse and recover from her mental health issues.

Vandana, looking at her face in the mirror, is full of confidence, unlike a few years back when she was barely alive. Throughout her life, she was scared and hunted by none other than her own elder brother. Her brother, who was nothing more than a devil had made her life a living hell. She barely remembers any moment of happiness from her childhood. The only memories she has are of being bullied and beaten up by her brother. Even today, any memory of her teenage shakes her up entirely and sends chills down her spine.

Vandana still remembers the night when it all started. She was sleeping on her cot in the verandah of her house. In the middle of the night, she felt someone coming very close to her. With a sense of fear, she opened her eyes. It was none  other than her brother. All of a sudden, he forced himself on her and started touching her inappropriately. In utter disbelief and shock, she did not know how to react. She was screaming deep inside as loud as she could, but not a single decibel came out of her mouth. For a few days, she was not able to understand what happened to her. When she finally shared her experience with her mother, she got scolded for making up fake stories against her brother. Her mother told her that it is her misunderstanding and he loves her. She could never find the courage to share it with her father, fearing that she will be scolded again. But, those fifteen minutes never stopped after that night. The fear of him coming and touching her was not letting her sleep.  Every night she struggled with her brain to fall asleep. Her not so fabulous life became nothing more than fear, worries and tears. Two years felt like a never-ending horror, and she kept crying and praying this horror to end. She started showing mental health issues of stress and anxiety. She started developing physical health problems in the form of loss of appetite and continuous headache. One day, she decided to escape from the nest. She convinced her parents to send her to another city to study. She thought this would end by going away from him. But her trauma was more profound than she imagined. She tried to forget everything, but something deep inside was cutting her little by little. Flashbacks of her horror kept coming back, and it felt like she is falling into the darkness. Every night she tried to find the answer to the same question again and again – Why me? Will this ever end?

But everything changed now since the day she met Sushil in the college. He came in her life as a ray of hope and strength. He gave her the courage to 'Break the Silence'. He convinced her to talk to their college's mental health counsellor. She decided to confront the beast and get rid of the trauma. She was able to understand that it is not her mistake, and she deserves more. She realised that her silence was the cause of her fear which was killing her from deep inside. From the day she decided to break her silence, her life is full of joy and happiness. She married Sushil and made him a companion for her life. Now, she is free from any trap of fear, thoughts and darkness.

Through the above story, I want to raise awareness about childhood sexual abuse. Knowledge and awareness about the issue should be part of the school curriculum, and there should be mandatory awareness training for the children for all age groups. The children from early childhood should be taught the difference between a bad touch and a good touch.

Parents should also be encouraged and trained to  talk to their children when faced with a child sexual abuse situation. Let’s all work towards ‘Breaking the silence’ for ensuring  mentally healthy children.


By:

SAMRIDHI KAMBOJ

M.A., CDLU, Sirsa, Haryana; B.Ed, CRSU, Jind, Haryana; PGDRP, MDU, Rohtak, Haryana.

INTERN, Brain Behaviour Research Foundation of India


References:

Bhatt, Priyanka. 2018. Shame On Us, Every 15 Minutes, A Child Is Sexually Abused In India. April 30. Accessed July 19, 2020. https://www.indiatimes.com/amp/news/india/shame-on-us-every-15-minutes-a-child-is-sexually-abused-in-india-343842.html


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