We all watched Satyamev Jayate. We all learnt that child sexual exploitation is more prevalent than we thought. We brought home the fact that 53 per cent of children have gone through this torture. We know that 53 per cent of boys silently carry the pain of abuse within them. If one in two children has been a victim of this evil, we know, that we know many who carry the weight of sexual abuse; we just don’t know that they have been there and been through it all. Now we know that the abuser doesn't look any different, that the abuser walks among us. Similarly, the abused walks among us.
We don’t recognise her
Because
She chose to hide the pain
Behind
Her all-deceiving smile.
We don’t recognise him
Who put
On his bravest smile
Because
He was trained to bite the bullet.
We don’t recognise her
Because
She chose to live on
Without
Hurting those who loved her.
We don’t recognise him
Who borne
It all -- silently, only
Because
He would not be believed.
We don’t recognise her
Because
She bottled it all up,
She couldn’t
Bear all the blame too.
We don’t recognise him
Who knew not
That he was being molded
For abuse
None told him what abusers did.
We don’t recognise her
Because
She had instructions
Never to
Disrespect ‘older people.’
We don’t recognise him
For he
Walks amongst us
Because
He chose to go on living.
We don’t recognise them
Because
They vented out in the form
Of creativity.
The pain -- in colours and in words.
***
***
We have to keep this conversation going so as to save our children this pain. We have to spread the word to save them this silent suffering. The parent in me is thankful for the workshop segment of episode 2 of Satyamev Jayate. If you missed it or want to watch it again - Workshop for children.
Here's a little about the grooming that abusers do Child Sexual Abuse: 6 Stages of Grooming from Oprah.com
Here's a little about the grooming that abusers do Child Sexual Abuse: 6 Stages of Grooming from Oprah.com
You might also want to check out The Silence that Never Was by Bhavana on Tilling the Earthwoman
And here's Indu Chibber's post on How to tell a child is being abused
And here's Indu Chibber's post on How to tell a child is being abused
My take on Satyameve Jayate - Open letters to the viewers, host and production team of Satyamev Jayate
