Protection of Children from Sexual Exploitation

Child sexual abuse (CSA) is where a person makes use of a child for satisfying sexual desires. Sexual abuse of a child may be by touching private parts, taking obscene photographs of a child or making a child watch pornography. In India, hot debate and research are flourishing as the rates of abuse, particularly against girl children, increase. Even the victims are free who rapes a girl child of age 5 years due to abscond denotes the failure at Executive and Judicial Level. According to a survey by UNICEF (United Nations Children Fund) in India, 10% of girl children being abused are between the ages of 10–14 years old. In most cases the people who are suspected CSA perpetrators will be well known to the child and family, hence, complaints against CSA are filed at a lower rate at police stations. In India, CSA is monitored by the “Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act 2012”. This chapter discusses CSA, case studies in India, the rights of children and UNICEF, and laws passed against CSA in India.