Even today, conversations around sex and sexual violence are looked down upon in India. But considering that kids as young as 10 years old (maybe even less in many cases) are exposed to the internet, social media and everything else in between, it is important to talk to children about ‘good and bad touch’ and sex. Because let us face it – kids nowadays have much more exposure than what we had as kids and there’s always a chance that a kid might stumble upon information, trends or behavioral patterns online that are potentially dangerous.
Besides this, innumerable kids across the country have been victims of sexual violence. There have been studies that prove that minors who grow up in environments where they are exposed to violence, either in their homes or communities, may be more likely to perpetrate violence themselves. A conversation surrounding experiences of violence in childhood and exposure to the dark side of the internet began when a very shocking incident from Agra made headlines.
An 11-year-old boy who is a class 4 student raped a 6-year-old girl after which the victim was hospitalised because her condition was critical. The girl had gone for tuition classes and the boy had taken her to an isolated location and raped her. According to TOI, the girl came back home at 7.30 PM and was bleeding, following which she was taken to the hospital.
The girl knew the boy and once she revealed the incident to her parents, they went to his house and nabbed him. The accused has been booked and sent to a juvenile home.
Upon reading the news, several people tried to figure out why these kinds of incidents were happening in the first place. Here’s a look at some of the reactions to this:
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We need to work towards creating a society where all individuals, regardless of age, understand the importance of respect, consent, and gender equality. Society also needs to provide support and rehabilitation for both victims and perpetrators so we can break the cycle of violence