Why is it in the news
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The government informed Parliament last week that the National Crime Record Bureau (NCRB) will for the first time collect gender disaggregated data on sexual assaults against children.
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But activists say that for this to be a success, a lot will have to be done to ensure boys or transgender children open up about sexual abuse.
More in the news
Data:
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The Study on Child Abuse in 2007, commissioned by the government, surveyed 12,447 children in 13 States and found that 53.22% of them had faced one or more forms of sexual abuse.
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Of these, 52.94% were boys and 47.06% were girls.
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Only 5.69% of the victims had reported being sexually assaulted and most children did not report the matter to anyone.
Distinction in Data:
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As per the Minister, earlier cases did not make a referral to the gender of the victim.
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Hence, to refine the data now, States are being implored to ensure that a distinction in terms of gender can be made between a male victim and a female victim, so that in terms of rehabilitation and other support facilities given to that victim.
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However, as per the activists, though the gender-wise data collection on victims of sexual abuse is a welcome move, the government needs to release the crime reports since 2017.
Source
The Hindu