In India, speaking about sexual violence against children still remains a subject of social stigma despite widespread reporting on the atrocities towards them. To address this concern and bring in a change, Bollywood actor Rahul Bose has launched an initiative, which seeks to spread awareness on the issue through his NGO ‘Help Eradicate Abuse through Learning’ (HEAL) that has been working in this field for more than a decade. “There are a few atrocities worse than child sexual abuse because it robs the child of trust. In India, more than half of our children have been sexually abused and we have the second highest rate of child sexual abuse (CSA) in the world,” says Bose.
Till recently HEAL was a part of his NGO, Foundation, that works to prevent discrimination. Talking about the need to launch this initiative, the actor reveals that three of his five close friends have been sexually abused as children. “One of them was abused by her father, another by their domestic help and one by an uncle. I have realised how rampant it is and the damage it causes. I responded to this cause emotionally,” says Bose.
HEAL would also work towards “lifting the veil of silence and shame” that plagues our society where sexual abuse is embedded in a culture of silence, shame and victim blaming. According to a 2016 National Crime Records Bureau data, out of all the CSA cases that were reported, 95% of abusers were known and trusted people to the children — either from within the family or neighbours. “People feel a strange kind of aversion to something that makes them confront the worst of the human condition.” The problem is more amplified due to the dearth of therapists equipped with a nuanced understanding of the implications of CSA who can provide the required help to the survivors and their families. “The only way CSA can be eradicated is to remove the veil of silence, be educated, be vigilant, punish perpetrators and most importantly, support survivors with ceaseless love, care and healing,” believes Bose.
Learn signs, stop abuse
Till now, HEAL has trained over 35,000 individuals across schools, colleges and communities, equipping them to identify the threats and signs of sexual abuse and teach preventive behaviour. The foundation largely works with groups of parents and teachers to debunk myths surrounding sexual abuse and help them deal with situations of CSA. “It was difficult to crack schools at first. In Bombay, we have managed because we made the administrators, school principals and teacher understand and experience the workshops. Once they are aware that this is not a scandalous and salacious workshop but a very sensitive piece of communication, they begin to trust you. You need to build that trust,” he says.
The NGO has a trained team of 34 trainers who regularly conduct awareness trainings across Mumbai. Through a qualified panel of psychologists and psychiatrists, HEAL has so far extended therapeutic support to over 60 survivors of CSA — both adults and children. “We are addressing students, parents and teachers in schools — because it acquires legitimacy then. Just going into a home and chatting about it won’t help. In a school, it is a collective and a structured experience and there’s a sense that it is somehow more valid than just friendly advice,” he adds.
Championing advocacy
HEAL under The Foundation was also part of lobbying for Protection Of Children against Sexual Offences act (POCSO), that was formulated in 2012 to effectively address sexual abuse and sexual exploitation of children. The team was actively involved in the consultation process to draft the bill that grew into POCSO. But Bose believes that despite the act, not much has changed, as people hardly know about its existence. Given the fact that CSA often comes from people who are known and trusted by children, it calls for adults to learn how to identify, confront and prevent abusive behaviour, as well as understand the developmental challenges such behaviour may pose in front of children. “The workshops for school children are different from workshops for parents and school teachers. For children, it is more about personal safety education whereas for adult’s workshop — what are the signs that a child is being abused.”
In the past, the actor has been associated with several causes; especially his unrelenting, post-tsunami efforts in the Andaman and Nicobar islands for which he was awarded the Godfrey Phillips Prize for Bravery in Social Service. With HEAL, the actor hopes to create more awareness about the social issue which affects both boys and girls. According to the pan-India national study on Child Abuse (2007) by Ministry of Women and Child Development 52.94 % were boys. “With HEAL, we would like to keep the conversation going with our presence in 20 cities. We would also like to set up a physical centre though we don’t have the bandwith for a helpline right now.” For now, the focus will be on workshops, sensitization and counselling.
For more information on HEAL, see thefoundation.in
