Childhood Sexual Abuse in Pakistan: A Comparative Study of Domestic and Public Domains

Authors

  • Ishtiaque Qureshi M.Phil Scholar, Pakistan Study Centre, University of Karachi.

Keywords:

Childhood sexual abuse, intrafamilial, disclosure – nondisclosure of sexual abuse, molestation

Abstract

Childhood sexual abuse (CSA) remains a significantly under-addressed issue within Pakistani families, often shrouded in silence due to various societal factors. A notable contributing factor to this silence is the prevalent gap in communication between parents and children, which hinders the disclosure of instances of abuse, including sexual assault and molestation. Consequently, reliable data on the prevalence of childhood sexual abuse and molestation is scarce. This study aims to ascertain the extent of childhood abuse victimization through an exploratory survey conducted among students enrolled in higher education institutions in Karachi and Hyderabad. Furthermore, this study aims to quantify and compare the acts of CSA occurred inside the premises of home and outside. Subsequent analysis focused on delineating gender disparities among victims and elucidating potential correlations between family structure, familial status, and instances of childhood sexual abuse. This multifaceted approach endeavors to shed light on the details of this issue within the Pakistani context. In this study among the 364 respondents, a total of 109 reported experiencing childhood sexual abuse and/or molestation, of whom 58 were female and 51 were male. Sixty-four respondents indicated they were abused only within the home, while 4 reported abuses occurring outside the home, and 41 stated they were abused both inside and outside the home. Furthermore, 55% of the victims reported that the perpetrators were known to them.

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Published

2025-01-05