Life after the letdown

April is Child Abuse Awareness Month

A survey commissioned by the Indian government in 2007 says 53% of children in India faced sexual abuse. The survey, sponsored by the Women and Child Development Ministry, says majority of the abuses go unreported. Sexual abuse of children is a heinous crime that scars the victims permanently in multiple ways.

Life definitely wasn’t about Scooby Doo, Captain Planet, or trips to the playground for the children who had to suffer the trauma of sexual abuse. However, even after the actual abuse stops, trauma is something the victims have to live with for the rest of their lives.

The process of recovery is as difficult to face as the actual abuse itself. The aftermath of sexual abuse differs from person to person but research indicates that sexual abuse alters a life irrevocably. Leading a regular life, something that we take for granted, becomes impossible at times for the victim. The simple act of touch becomes difficult at times. One survivor says that he was unable to hug a friend or even enjoy a massage without experiencing a certain kind of anxiety.

A sexual assault on the street differs from sexual abuse in children not only with respect to the victim, but also that in most cases of sexual abuse in children, the attacker is known, often trusted, and this form of abuse continues over a longer period of time. It is this emotional betrayal along with sexual violence that leads to permanent scarring as adults.

Healing is not a miraculous process; the operative word here is time. If you have ever been a victim of sexual abuse, here are a few things to remember:

• Speaking out is the first step. If you haven’t already told someone about it, do it now!

• It is, under no circumstances, your fault.

• However difficult it may seem, communicate, whether it is in the form of speaking to someone, or just writing, painting, music, cooking- any activity that serves as an outlet to your feelings.

• Look up successful survivor stories, many victims who have undergone the most brutal of violence have come through. If they can, so can you.

• Most importantly, believe in a better future. If you think there is no hope, then half the battle is already lost.