Sexual Abuse – Councelling and Prevalence in Female School Children in Patiala

Child sexual abuse is a global phenomenon but being under reported. It has serious physical and psycho-social consequences that adversely affect the health and overall well being of the child. There is acceptance of the fact that girls are not safe in India, which has the largest number of sexually abused children, yet the subject is a taboo here. CSA has received considerable attention since late 1970s from medical, mental health, legislative, judicial and law enforcement professionals, as well as media and the lay public, making it the most researched form of child maltreatment. This blind, cross-sectional study is aimed to throw light on the patterns of sexual abuse and the effect of counselling on the reporting of sexual abuse among female school children in Patiala city.