A study on awareness level of parents on child sexual abuse with special reference to Thiruvarppu Panchayath, Kottayam district

Abstract

The study aims to check the awareness level of parents on child sexual abuse CSA) especially in the areas such as types of CSA, existence of CSA, whether gender and age of child, time and place occurring CSA, socio-economic factors of family, and perpetrator influence the occurrence of CSA, the prevention methods and legal awareness on CSA. The samples were selected from Thiruvarppu Panchayath, Kottayam district, Kerala, India and using quota sampling method. The major findings are majority of respondents are not aware on the aspects that child sexual abuse can be happen to any child from any socio-economic background of families, boy children can be sexually abused, and also the legal measures such as POCSO act, minimum age for marriage of men, and even the Child Help Line number in India.