In a recent social media post, Ira Khan, daughter of Bollywood actor Aamir Khan, revealed that she was sexually abused as a 14-year-old. Mentioning that the perpetrator was known to her, she admits that it took her over a year to process that she was being abused and for her to disclose this to her parents. Ira's experience is far from an isolated one. Data released by the National Crime Record Bureau indicates that as many as 109 children were sexually abused in India every day in 2018, with 39,827 cases being reported that year under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO).

The psychological effects of teenage sexual abuse can be lasting, experts say. "Many children experience lifelong struggles with depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, addictions, and difficulties establishing trust and intimacy in future relationships," says Kanchan Rai, mental wellbeing coach at Let Us Talk. It is, therefore, important for the child's parents or the primary caregivers to address the incident sensitively and give the child the support to heal.