A Comprehensive Analysis of Child Sexual Abuse and Indian Legislation. Is India Equipped for the Challenge of Child Abuse?

Child sexual abuse is a widespread evil in our culture that is rarely mentioned, while being a major issue. For both public health and human rights, child sexual abuse (CSA) is a serious issue. A child or teenager who has experienced sexual abuse trauma may never fully recover from cognitive impairments, as well as a host of psychological and emotional disorders. In order to better understand the causes and effects of child sexual abuse (CSA), as well as to pinpoint any existing research gaps, this chapter conducts a systematic review of quantitative and qualitative studies that have been published to date. It also discusses the types and prevalence of CSA in India. In order to find publications on child sexual abuse in India that were written in English and published in electronic databases, we searched using 36 search criteria. Data was exclusively taken from published journals for this study. Social, cultural, and familial CSA risk factors are looked at. The following list includes the most frequent ailments and signs associated with sexual abuse. The chapter’s conclusion discusses possible repercussions for Indian counselors who assist with sexually abused children. It is important to assess the connections between CSA and physical health outcomes, as well as behavioral issues that CSA survivors continue to face in adulthood, such as a higher risk of CSA recurrence, greater engagement in sex work, revictimization as adults, and high-risk sexual behaviors.