HYDERABAD: While three cases of
male child abuse were recorded under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act in 2017, this figure has risen to four this year, with all being registered in the past month.
According to
police, officials, most male victims do not come forward after they face
sexual abuse.
“People are unaware that even boys can be victims of abuse. Even parents are shocked. They do not take the same kind of
precaution for boys in the way they do for girls,” said Shikha Goel, additional commissioner of police (crimes).
“Some of the minor boys we rescued from railway stations and other spots in the city were molested. This has been identified as of the reasons why they run away from their homes. We also noticed that most of the sexual abuse male victims open up about the abuse only after a week. They take time to open up about the incident,” said Mohammed Imtiaz Rahim, child protection officer.
“Most cases of boys being sexually abused go unreported. Boys are expected to be strong, is one reason such cases don’t come to light. Several surveys, conducted across the country, revealed that nearly 48 per cent of the victims of POCSO are minor boys across India. However, very few of these cases are reported,” added Goel.
A counsellor at the Bharosa Centre in the city said that boys are ridiculed and their sexual orientation is also questioned, after they open up about the abuse.
“The pressure to live up to the macho image plays a big role in low reporting of male child abuse cases. In many cases, parents find it difficult to accept the fact that their child is a victim of sexual abuse,” the counsellor said.
Child protection experts added that there is an immediate need to create awareness in schools and also among parents, about such incidents in the city.
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