Apr 15, 2003 08:15 PM
6495 Views
(Updated Jul 14, 2005 05:34 PM)
He has been sexually abused. Has been humiliated. He has no social support. He... is only 8 yrs old.
She is living a normal life. She does not know that she was raped. She was only 6 months old when it happened.
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The Author
The book Bitter Chocolate: Child Sexual Abuse in India has been penned by write/journalist Pinki Virani. She has written two other books-
Aruna's story- (A touching tale of a nurse who was raped and now is barely alive) and Once was Bombay
Pinki Virani was herself sexually abused when as a child and has written this book since she felt the need to talk about this issue and help other victims deal with it effectively. I admire her courage.
The Book
Costs 295/- and is available in almost every library. Available on https://inthebrowser.com
Bitter Chocolate deals with the rarely discussed problem of Child Sexual Abuse (CSA). It talks of cases of incest (the most common form of CSA) and many other aspects. 3 out of 10 people have been victims of CSA. It's about time someone addressed the issue and I'm glad Pinki Virani decided to do it.
It is divided into three cycles-
Victim Cycle - This part of the book tells you what CSA is. The author says that often cases of CSA are not identified since people don't really know what would count as CSA. This section makes all that clear. She also discusses various cases of CSA in this section, giving an account of almost every kind of CSA case.
Survivor Cycle - This cycle refers to that period in the life of a victim where he/she considers him/herself a survivor of CSA. The victim feels sorry for himself/herself. He/she understands that what was done to him/her was wrong but is unable to deal with it effectively.
Exit Cycle - This is the most important part of the book. This helps the victim deal with the trauma of CSA.
Index of Agencies - At the end of the book, there is a list of agencies all over India which help in CSA cases by providing help and counselling. Addresses of agencies are given.
Method of reading the book
The foreword of the book must be read. Here the author explains how her book should be read. She recommends that if the trauma is too hard, the reader must skip straight to the Exit Cycle.
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This is a book dealing with a very serious problem. Just because people don't talk about it, doesn't mean CSA doesn't exist. Not only girls but a large number of young boys have been victims of CSA. If we turn a blind eye this problem will not go away. Often a raised eyebrow all that a mention of CSA gets. Read this book. And let a look of concern replace that of disgust.
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Mind This..
Do not leave this book just because you find it too revolting. Try to understand that CSA is sadly a very widespread problem. It's everywhere. Educate yourself, you might just save a child's life.
Do not read this book like some piece of erotica! Yes, I've seen people read this book and chuckle. Some have even gotten kicks out of reading it.
Incest isn't funny, nor is child rape. Don't insult the suffering of little children who trust you grownups with their lives and future.
