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Child Sexual Abuse In Pinki Virani's Bitter Chocolate

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Is there any solution to this pain of a kid? Is it the innocence which is responsible of her torment? Can anyone listen to the silent sounds of this child? What constitutes sexual abuse? Why do some men (and women) sexually abuse children? Should it be considered abuse even if the victim does not protest? And the abused children - what happens to them when they grow up? As a concerned parent, what can you do to protect your child? Pinki Virani takes on these and many other questions in her book Bitter Chocolate. This powerful and ambitious book covers a lot of ground, from making real the devastating consequences of childhood sexual abuse through a hundred varied case histories to providing suggestions for improving the Indian legal system's response to abuse, and a guide for survivors.
Throughout her work, Virani never loses sight of the child who is being abused and remains its steadfast and fierce advocate. Her style of writing is direct and forceful. While describing the several case histories in the book, she gracefully avoids making the narration either pornographic or excessively gory or violent. …show more content…

For instance, I've heard it said that the joint family system in India, and the relatively cramped living quarters which force a greater level of intimacy among inmates might contribute to a higher incidence of child sexual abuse. Virani does not comment on this issue. She does blame the over-sexualized nature of society for the increasing incidence of childhood sexual abuse. It is true that sexy (read adult-like) clothes for children, well, little girls, are increasingly popular in India. Little girls performing the bizzare gyrations done by film actresses are also considered cute by otherwise traditional families. Whether this contributes directly to childhood sexual abuse is unclear, but the connection is not entirely

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