The United Theological College
Inter-Disciplinary Paper
Child Sexual Abuse: A Call to Replicate God’s Love
Presented by: Vinod Shemron Saduri & S. Sam Sathish Kumar
04-11-2013
1. Introduction
As a part of our Intensive Field Education, we as a group visited United Basal Mission Church
2.Case
During our exposure, we came across, Akil,[1] who was 13-year-old boy, studying 8th standard in a Government High School. It was in his 4th standard, he was sexually abused by the neighbor aunt, who used him for her sexual gratification by touching his genitals and also making him do the same. This happened regularly when his parents[2] were out for work, for about a year, until that neighbor shifted her house to a different place, he did not have the guts to speak out as he was threatened that his parents would beat him up if they get to know. Again, when he was in his 7th standard, he had to undergo the same torture, this time by his uncle (relative). His uncle sexually abused him (until he was warned by the tuition center Coordinator and his colleagues). This issue came into light when the tuition teacher[3] identified Akil to be very silent and more of an introvert, isolating himself from the others in the class. After a long conversation, Akil made an effort to tell the teacher what he was going through for a long time. He said “my uncle is touching me in wrong places, and I am feeling shy and scared.” After sharing this experience to the teacher, the teacher reported to the coordinator and they counseled Akil’s parents, and warned his uncle.[4]
3. Methodology
For analyzing this case, we have primarily gathered information from the informal conversation with the teacher and our observation at the Night Study Center
4.Case Analysis
4.1 Human sexuality: It is a fundamental modality of the manner in which we relate ourselves to all other people and to God. “It is from sexuality that the human person receives the characteristics, which on the biological and spiritual levels make a person a man or woman, and thereby largely conditions his/her progress towards maturity and insertion into society.”[5] Sexuality can also be our self-understanding and way of being in life as male and female which includes our appropriate attitude and characteristics, which has been culturally defined as male and female. We must understand that human sexuality transcends our understanding of the human-constructed genders.[6]. We are now living in a liberalized world which is continuously affecting and changing human attitude towards sex. The contemporary still changing attitude towards sex bring before us the no rules, free love, un-restraint sex philosophy that have given way to a new order of societal rules. The sacredness of love and intimacy is now challenged.
4.2 Sexual Abuse: Sexual abuse can be termed as an act of violence, hatred, and aggression. Whether it is viewed clinically or legally, objectively or subjectively, in which violence is the common dominator. Like other acts of violence (assault, murder, nuclear war etc), there is a violation of an injury to victims, the injuries maybe psychological or physical. In which, acts of sexual violence, usually the injuries are both. This act is indeed violent and injurious and the victim knows that he/she has experienced the most violent act possible of short of murder, and the victim of child sexual abuse is haunted by the helplessness he/she felt at the hands of the molester who sought control and exploited him/her.[7]
4.3 Child[8] Sexual Abuse: Miles and Stephenson defines child sexual abuse as, “contacts or interaction between a child and an older or more knowledgeable child or adult, when the child is being used as an object of gratification for an older child or adult’s sexual needs. These contacts or interactions are carried out against the child using force, threats or pressure.”[9] Peter Mosgofian and George Ohlschlager suggest that “child abuse is the immoral and criminal use of the child as a sexual object by an adult or an older minor child.”[10] Child sexual abuse may include assault, rape and sodomy, touching and fondling a child’s genitals, masturbation, oral genital contact, digital penetration, and vaginal intercourse, exhibitionism and photographing the child nude, forcible kissing, and any other form of sexual advances. Child sexual abuse in not confined only to the physical contact, as it could include non contact abuse like exposure and child pornography, sexual talks, etc. Child sexual abuse can be said as the involvement of a child in a sexual activity, that the child does not fully comprehend, and unable to give informed consent to, or that violates the laws or social taboos of society.[11] Physically it makes the child live a life of unforeseen pain; though the pain reduces the scars remain to continue to affect the child mentally.
4.5 Reasons:[12]
There could be many more reasons but we have identified a few of them mentioned below.
- Children are innocent and trust the abusers (mostly people known to the family)
- Children are powerless under the domination of the perpetrators, to escape from the abusers
- At times stepparents abuse the children of the spouse’s children of previous relationship
- Children of broken homes and separated from their own parents look for love from others
- Children are vulnerable and can be cheated easily by an adult for money or sweets and chocolates or anything small
- Children are not given the awareness about their vulnerability and dangers of sexual abuse
- Some adults believe in the myth that they should have sex with children for their well being
- In some religious cults, worship of a child in nude is encouraged to get the favor of their gods and goddesses
- Low frustration tolerance and inappropriate expressions of anger and lust in the offender
- Sexual violence is celebrated in movies, internet and other forms of media instigate the minds of the offender
- The past experience of abuse, in the earlier part of the life of the offender urging him/her to do so
4.6 Statistics: The WHO estimates that 150 million girls and 73 million boys under the age of 18yrs have experienced forced sexual intercourse or any other form of sexual violence involving physical contact though this certainly is an underestimate. Out of the total child abuses in India
4.7 Aftermath of the Victim (Psycho-Social Condition): The victim often withdraws from his/her peers. Since the victim rarely shares the experience with anyone, he/she believes no one else has ever experienced this before. In a way, isolating himself/herself, from the peers, at a very early stage. The victim (in this case a child) learns early not to trust adults. The child victim learns that affection they are likely to get from anyone is sexual in nature. They also learn that the sexual attention is not for their benefit, but solely for the benefit of the offender. The child victim loses almost all sense of self-worth. They feel responsible for the sexual abuse and develop overwhelming negative feelings about themselves. Many a times, this loss of self-worth moves the child to self-destructive behaviors such as lack of interest in education, lethargic towards securing his/her future, drug or alcohol abuse, self-mutilation, overeating, under eating, suicide attempts etc may result.[14]
The victim withdraws from the activities of the family, yet tries to explain but not able to communicate the exact description of the incident. The fear of self-indulged crime is constantly assumed and exaggerated in the mind, hence making it difficult for the child to make any clear advances to reveal to the elders the intensity of the incident. In this case we see that Akil was clearly going through such a situation. This may affect the child’s psyche, which may also result in affecting the child’s sexual orientation.
4.8 Legal and Constitutional Provision: Protection of Children from sexual offences (POCSO) ACT 2012:[15] This act has tried to set up the standards of International Child Protection Rights against all types of sexual abuses. One of the issues marring the vision for the country’s children is the evil of child sexual abuse, and a special law – the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 – was passed by Parliament in May, 2012 to address this issue. The Act came into force on 14th of November, 2012, along with the rules framed under the Act.
The Act is gender-neutral and defines a child as any person below the age of eighteen years. It provides precise definitions for different forms of sexual abuse, including penetrative and non-penetrative sexual assault, sexual harassment and pornography. The Act provides for stringent punishment graded as per the gravity of the offence, with a maximum term of rigorous imprisonment for life for certain offences, and fine.
In keeping with the best International Child Protection standards, the Act provides for mandatory reporting of sexual offences. It also prescribes punishment for a person if he/she provides false information with the intention to defame any person, including a child. Most importantly, the Act provides child-friendly procedures for reporting of offences, recording of evidence, investigation and trial.
Under Section 45 of the Act, the power to make rules rests with the Central Government. The rules framed under the Act, provides qualification and experience of interpreters, translators, special educators, and experts; arrangements for care and protection and emergency medical treatment of the child; compensation payable to a child who has been the victim of a sexual offence; and the manner of periodic monitoring of the provisions of the Act by the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights and State Commissions for Protection of Child Rights.
The rules rely on the structures established under the Juvenile Justice Act, 2000, such as Child Welfare Committees and District Child Protection Units, to make arrangements for the care and protection of the child and to ensure that the child is not re-victimized in the course of investigation and trial. They also provide the child, medical facility for emergency, no magisterial requisition or other documentation may be demanded by such facility prior to rendering medical care. The rules also lay down criteria for award of compensation by the Special Court , which includes the gravity of the offence; loss of educational opportunity or employment as a result of the offence; and disability, disease or pregnancy suffered as a consequence of the offence. The compensation may be awarded at the interim stage as well as upon completion of trial.
5.1 Christian Sexual Ethics Perspective (Vinod)
As a Christian, biblical and theological foundation on the concept of human sexuality, can give us clarity to see this issue in the lens of Christian sexual ethics, where the intended purpose of human sexuality is not distorted by any means of human forces, rather create a world of healthy relationships, respecting each other as sexual beings.
Sexuality is much more than just sexual intercourse. It is a part of life that human beings and all of creation share in common. The contemporary worldview towards sexuality has changed, and the people are more confined to the liberal idea of sexuality and have yielded to it without considering the socio-religious, moral, and ethical obligation towards sexuality. Today we see that even the media, internet, people’s talk-action, etc play a vital role in the marring the purpose of sexuality. Life has been changing fast in all levels of our society, and sexual life is one among the major factors affected in this process of change. The sacredness of human sexuality has lost its meaning.
The basic stress in the teachings of Jesus was on the root of sin which is consistently declared lay in the attitudes and intentions of the mind and heart. It was his teaching that all sexual sin had its source in wayward impulses and desires that were first nourished in the mind. He therefore spoke of the lustful look as adultery, already committed in imagination, and purity of mind and heart as the only true guarantee of integrity in behavior.
The attitude of Jesus towards sexual sin is that of understanding and compassion, in contrast with the punitive attitudes common among ‘religious people’. Akil is a victim of the arrogant sexual urge, of the abusers. There are for sure many children like Akil, whom Jesus considers as the ‘greatest in the kingdom of heaven’, who still suffer and go unnoticed, even when they want to share the unexplainable experiences. It is very necessary for us to speak about human sexuality, and teach the children about its sacredness. Using sex education to teach sexual ethics, allows children to draw on their core faith values in developing healthy relationships.
It is also necessary for us as God’s creation to respect and replicate the Love of God, intended for all of us. We must be aware of situation of child sexual abuse, and make sure we are there with the child to help him/her come out of the situation, not just standing in solidarity but also to fight for the child. I would also suggest that we keep a sharp ear to the expression and words of a child while talking to see signs of abuse. Let us together share the notion that our sexuality must be governed by true love and respect for each other. For God has called us not to make-out, but to Make-Love.
5.2 Ministerial Perspective (Sam)
Child sexual abuse is a problem at the heart of the society, and therefore at the heart of the church. Traditionally in India , the responsibility of care and protection of children has been with families and communities. The church as a community should wake up to the problem of sexual abuse of children. The scripture mandates the church to stand with those like Akil, who become objects of harm and exploitation and it is our responsibility to protect the little ones. The pastor and the leaders of the church should be sensitive and child-centered. Their role needs to be in detection and referral for professional counselling, support to all family members in crisis and facilitation of God’s healing. First the parents needed to be educated on the issue of potential danger of sexual abuse and also to have a healthy relationship with their children so that the children can go to the parents for any uncomfortable situation. Secondly, we need to educate children to recognize and report any kind of inappropriate touching and make them understand what sexual abuse is. It is very much necessary for us to find an appropriate language that is much simpler to explain to the children.[16]
The aim of the church and its ministry is to identify what the children need, what families must provide for the sake of the children, how families struggle with the child-rearing tasks, and what church and the society must do to support families in their care of children. Most importantly, the church should understand why families and societies fail to provide what children need. A church that practices to be a community where children are welcomed and honored as a child and where there is compassion and justice for all persons will become a “sanctuary for childhood and others in need”. If a church transforms its attitude towards children in order to be a sanctuary for childhood, it will deepen the sacred trust of its access to families.[17] The church today is called to do what Jesus did: to welcome children in order to bless them. Jesus also revolutionized our understanding of being human when he suggested that childlike as a criterion for Christian discipleship. The church has been reluctant to rectify church teachings that unwittingly promote the abuse of power over the less powerful – whether children, women, minorities, the poor and the oppressed. As Christians, we experience humanity in its fullness when we honor what is vulnerable, open, and always emerging and unfolding. The prophetic voice of the church is weakened by its inability to practice what it proclaims.[18]
The sexual abuse of children should not be tolerated and the allegations should be taken seriously. The church leadership should act in ways that respect the dignity and worth of every child.[19] Not only children, the church should also look into the offender and make him/her realize the meaning of intimacy and sex. We need to follow Jesus who showed compassion and love towards the children who came to him and at the same time he showed his anger towards the adults who, selfishly and without care, abuse the trust of children. “To abuse the trust of a child is the greatest sin we can conceive, but to love and protect a child is the finest gift we have to offer.”[20]
6. Bibliography
Adams J. Carol & Marie M. Fortune, eds. Violence against Women and Children. New York
Anderson Herbert & Susan B.W. Johnson. Regarding Children: A New Respect for Childhood and Families. Kentucky : Westminster
Brewster Dan. Child, Church and Mission Philippines
Cashman Hilary. Christianity and Child Sexual Abuse. London: SPCK, 1993.
Fortune M. Marie. Sexual Violence: The Unmentionable Sin. Ohio
Jayaraj Jesudason, ed. Children at Risk: Issues and Challenges. Delhi
Jeyaraj J. B. Biblical perspectives on children and their protection: Towards a Child Theology. Madurai
Kath Phanenmo. Human Sexuality. Nagaland: The Tribal Development and Communication Center
Munro Eileen. Child Protection. London
O’Grady Ron. The Hidden Shame of the Church. Geneva
6.1 Webliography: The constitution of India New Delhi
[1] Pseudo name
[2] Father is a taxi-driver and mother is a housemaid
[3] She is a social worker who is spending time with the children, helping them with their home work and studies
[4] They could not do anything further as he had influence with the local politicians and was monetarily sound
[5] Phanenmo Kath, Human Sexuality (Nagaland: The Tribal Development and Communication Center
[6] Phanenmo Kath, Human Sexuality, 19-21
[7] Marie M. Fortune, Sexual Violence: The Unmentionable Sin, (Ohio: The Pilgrim Press,1983), 5-7
[8] Child in this case refers to anyone below the age of 18 according to the constitution of India
[9] Jesudason Jayaraj, ed., Children at Risk: Issues and Challenges (Delhi
[10] Jesudason Jayaraj, ed., Children at Risk: Issues and Challenges, (Delhi
[11] Jesudason Jayaraj, ed., Children at Risk: Issues and Challenges, 288-290
[12] Jesudason Jayaraj, ed., Children at Risk: Issues and Challenges, 292-295
[13] J. B. Jeyaraj, Biblical perspectives on children and their protection: Towards a Child Theology (Madurai
[14] Marie M. Fortune, Sexual Violence: The Unmentionable Sin, 166-168
[15] Taken form a reliable source from the Internet, According to the constitution of India New Delhi
[16] Jesudason Jayaraj, ed., Children at Risk: Issues and Challenges, 288-298
[17] Herbert Anderson & Susan B.W. Johnson, Regarding Children: A New Respect for Childhood and Families, (Kentucky: Westminster John Knox Press, 1994), 112-113
[18] Herbert Anderson & Susan B.W. Johnson, Regarding Children: A New Respect for Childhood and Families, 111-112
[19] Dan Brewster, Child, Church and Mission , (Philippines
[20] Ron O’Grady, The Hidden Shame of the Church (Geneve: WCC Publications, 2001), 66-71
