Awareness among the masses is essential to help end the problem of child abuse. Psychologists elaborated on the role and responsibilities of stakeholders under the Juvenile Justice Act and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act. Clinical psychologist Dr. Kamna Chhibber, Department of Mental Health and Behavioral Sciences, Fortis Healthcare, said that cases of child abuse can take different forms and can include abuse of a physical, verbal, or sexual nature.
Dealing with Abused Kids
"Most cases are from all sections of the society. In the last 10 years, I have learnt that any kind of abuse is not limited to social strata. It is not that those who are poor are abused more. Emotional trauma and neglect happen across society, across socioeconomic status and demographics," said Dr Jaya Sukul, Clinical Psychologist at Marengo QRG Hospital in Faridabad, Haryana.‘The horrific stories of child abuse that emerge almost daily highlight the serious question about the changing behavior of Indian society. Children are the most vulnerable section of society.’
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Though the abused children get counselling, it is also a challenge for psychologists to build a positive environment for them. "This can take a significant amount of time because they have experienced substantial abuse. Their basic ability to trust adults around them gets compromised and as a result, a lot of patience is required, and therapists typically tend to go extremely slow," she said.
"In working with the child in such situations, the focus immediately is not on trying to elicit what the nature of the abuse was or how it has impacted the child, but to try and build a rapport by helping the child feel that they can trust this person who is now around them and is helping them cope with their situation," said Dr. Chhibber.
"It’s only post-building of the relationship and the creation of a rapport that some instances can be inquired about, and the child is not pushed to disclose or share information beyond what they’re comfortable with," she added.
"A lot of people are not able to fight abuse or undergo cycles of abuse because they do not know what they have done to deserve the abuse. Thus, making them aware about what all can be, implications of abuse, handling and handing over the tools to empower them, helping them being expressive in voicing their pain is the best way to break the cycle of cyclical abuse," said Dr. Sukul.
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"Sometimes families can become insensitive, can end up questioning a lot or because of their own emotional experiences, may not recognize that the child needs extensive support," said Dr. Chhibber.
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Source-IANS