# ME TOO HAVE THE RIGHT TO LIVE..................

 

A day in the life of most of us begin with a cup of tea and a newspaper. Although the first sip of the tea is sweeter the possibility of the first news to be sweeter is a rare thing happen. Although a child's face spreads happiness in our minds the news of of a child sexual abuse irritates us from within. India, a country known for its never ending rich tradition and culture. A country that respects women and takes all possible steps to empower the women in the country. But today is she safe in her own country. NO, is it, is she treated well in every sector of the society. No different is the case of our little girls and boy child who is not neither safe in his/her own house, school, playground, bus and nor in the temple of God. Molesting a child is equal to destroying her dreams, expectations and her perspective about men. It is a hard time for a women to recover from a sexual assault while it is even harder to rescue a child from memory of  an abuse.

The World Health Organization (WHO) defines Child Sexual Abuse (CSA) as “the involvement of a child in sexual activity that 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.” In India, the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012 (that regards any sexual activity with a child below 18 years a crime) describes various forms of sexual offenses

    CAUSES

 

• History of child abuse or neglect during their own childhood
• Having a substance use disorder
• Physical or mental health conditions, such as depression, anxiety, or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
• Poor parent-child relationships
• Socioeconomic stress from financial issues, unemployment, or medical problems
• A lack of understanding about basic childhood development (expecting children to be capable of tasks before they’re ready)
• A lack of parenting skills to help cope with the pressures and struggles of raising a child
• A lack of support from family members, friends, neighbors, or the community
• Caring for a child with intellectual or physical disabilities that make adequate care more challenging
• Family stress or crisis caused by domestic violence, relationship turmoil, separation, or divorce
• Personal mental health issues, including low self-confidence and feelings of incompetence or shame

    PREVENTION

1. Teach your child body boundaries
2. Tell your child that no one should take pictures of their private parts.
3. Teach them that some body parts are private
4. Talk about body parts early.
5. Teach your child how to get out of scary or uncomfortable situations.
6. Have a code word with your children so that they can use when they feel unsafe or want you to understand what is wrong.
7. Tell your children they will never be in trouble if they tell you about a body secret.
8. Tell your child that a body touch might be tickle or feel good.
9. Tell your child that these rules apply even to people they know and even with another child.

1. In conclusion, I would like emphasize that sexual violence poses an obstacle to peace and security. It impedes women from participating in peace and democratic processes and in post-conflict reconstruction and reconciliation. As a tool of war it can become a way of life: once entrenched in the fabric of society, it lingers long after the guns have fallen silent. Many women lose their health, livelihoods, husbands, families and support networks as a result of rape. This, in turn, can shatter the structures that anchor community values, and with that disrupt their transmission to future generations. Children accustomed to acts of rape can grow into adults who accept such acts as the norm. Hence the punishment given to molestation should be upgraded so that fear of punishment shall save the lives of the so called victims.