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Universal Journal of Public Health Vol. 13(1), pp. 11 - 23
DOI: 10.13189/ujph.2025.130102
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What do the Numbers Represent? Aggregation of Incidences Involving Sexual Abuse against Children in Diverse Forms

Silvia SV , J Balamurugan ^*
School of Social Sciences and Languages, Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore – 632014, Tamil Nadu, India

ABSTRACT

Child sexual abuse (CSA) is a worldwide public health issue and a violation of human rights that has negative effects on physical, mental, and social health. There are various forms of child sexual abuse, including teenage pregnancy, child marriage, and sexual harassment, among others. Additionally, children who have experienced these forms of sexual abuse at a young age may face serious concerns in their later lives. This study aims to determine the prevalence rate of various forms of child sexual abuse among Indian children. Furthermore, the research study analyzed the increased rate of sexual abuse among children in its diverse forms in the state of Tamil Nadu. An elevated incidence of child sexual abuse is indicative of extensive deterioration in adolescents' development. Research used secondary data from the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-4 and 5), the State Crime Record Bureau (SCRB-TN), the National Crime Record Bureau (NCRB-India), Directorate of Public Health and Preventive Medicine (Tamil Nadu), Commissionerate of Social Welfare (Tamil Nadu) between the years 2021 and 2023 related to child marriage, teenage pregnancy, and registered cases of POCSO Act. The study found that Uttar Pradesh registered a high number of victims under the POCSO Act in India, while the district of Chennai has the highest number of victims registered under the POCSO Act in Tamil Nadu. Understanding the prevalence rate of sexual abuse against children is critical to preventing similar problems in the future.

KEYWORDS
Children, Public Health, Prevalence Rate, Child Rights, Sexual Violence, Child Marriage, Teen Age Pregnancy, Child Sexual Abuse

Cite This Paper in IEEE or APA Citation Styles
(a). IEEE Format:
[1] Silvia SV , J Balamurugan , "What do the Numbers Represent? Aggregation of Incidences Involving Sexual Abuse against Children in Diverse Forms," Universal Journal of Public Health, Vol. 13, No. 1, pp. 11 - 23, 2025. DOI: 10.13189/ujph.2025.130102.

(b). APA Format:
Silvia SV , J Balamurugan (2025). What do the Numbers Represent? Aggregation of Incidences Involving Sexual Abuse against Children in Diverse Forms. Universal Journal of Public Health, 13(1), 11 - 23. DOI: 10.13189/ujph.2025.130102.