SEXUAL HARASSMENT OF CHILDREN IN INDIA WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO CHILD PORNOGRAPHY: AN ANALYTICAL STUDY

Abstract

Either it is sexual harassment or sexual exploitation; both are considered as an unwelcoming act without the consent of the victim andit may include any act of sexual nature, such as, groping the private parts of the victim and forcing the victim for advancement of the sexual desires of a perpetrator and rape too. Since children are no doubt innocent, they become the easy prey of the perpetrators and can easily be exploited physically and mentally by them as they can easily be persuaded to any extent. Here, it is equally true that people of near relationship were found as predators, who try to spoil the future of an innocent child for their illicit and immoral sexual pleasures. In other words, risk from known persons is bigger than the risk from the strangers. There are many reasons for the increasing rate of this despicable act, yet presence of obscene materials, more particularly, child pornographic materials on the internet is one of the most prominent reasons of it. Free and easy availability of Internet facility has boosted this social evil and transformed it into a big industry known as ‘Porn Industry’. The authors have tried to highlight the loopholes of Indian legal system that gave boost to this industry and also the steps required to be taken to curb the menace of this despicable act against the minors.