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India's hidden crisis of sexual violence against boys
The sexual abuse of male children is a taboo topic that is rarely discussed in India. DW looks at the silent struggle male survivors face.
Boys and young men are often reluctant to admit they were sexually abused [FILE]Image: Anupam Nath/AP Photo/picture alliance
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This report contains an account from a survivor of sexual abuse.
In India's southern state of Kerala, a 16-year-old boy said he was sexually assaulted for over two years by 14 men he met through a dating app designed for the LGBTQ+ community.
Police have reportedly opened investigations into 14 men and made at least nine arrests.
Though the case has highlighted sexual violence faced by boys in a country that often comes under international focus for attacks on women, experts and survivors say the topic remains a taboo that is rarely acknowledged or discussed in India.
Shame, Silence, Stigma
DW spoke with one male survivor of sexual abuse, a 24-year-old man who preferred to remain anonymous.
He shared his story of how he was "exploited" as a young boy by his relatives, people he "trusted, looked up to and thought were protectors."
The man said the silence around the abuse he suffered was largely shaped by the overwhelming pressure of societal expectations that men should be strong — and silent.
"Society's idea of masculinity says that, if you speak up, you lose your manhood," he said.
Sociologist Vijaylakshmi Brara told DW that the reluctance to accept men as victims stemmed from traditionally rooted notions of masculinity, in which men are seen as dominant — not as victims.
"The traditional notion of 'manliness' casts men as strong and superior, making it difficult to accept that men can also be vulnerable or subjected to abuse," Brara said.
In mainstream thinking, she said, male victimhood is often dismissed, with patriarchal societies unable or unwilling to accept or even imagine that men and boys could be victims to such crimes.
The rape crisis in rural India is shrouded in silence
Society is deeply ingrained with the belief that only women are victims, leaving male experiences largely invisible," Brara said.
This experience is one shared by the survivor DW spoke with.
"No one imagines a boy could be abused," he said. "When a boy (makes allegations of sexual abuse), he's often laughed at."
A national study by India's Women and Child Development Ministry in 2007 found that more than half of boys had suffered sexual abuse, with just under a quarter experiencing a severe form of sexual abuse.
Though the study's use of a convenience sample rather than a representative one means the statistics should be viewed with caution, it nevertheless illustrates that the issue is widespread.
Male survivors are often overlooked and dismissed
Nandini Bhattacharya, who advocates for men who have survived such violence, told DW that male sexual assault survivors face unique psychological challenges — including deep shame and isolation fueled by a general disbelief in their accounts.
Survivors have to overcome a culture of victim-blaming that is tied to traditional gender norms, in which men are expected to be providers and protectors, while women are seen as weak and fragile, she explains.
"There is an increased feeling of guilt, self-blame and anxiety alongside difficulty expressing emotions and intimacy and often results in silence and reluctance to seek help or report the abuse," Bhattacharya said.
This culture of silence also means that boys are often overlooked in discussions about abuse, feminist writer Yashodhara Ray Chaudhuri said.
"Contrary to common beliefs, boys suffer abuse at rates comparable to girls, with some cases involving female abusers also," she said.
Chaudhuri said many men only revealed such experiences years later in private, highlighting the critical need to confront social taboos and broaden understanding of the abuse beyond prescribed gender frameworks.
"You should protect us not hurt us" is written on a sign at a rally with several people.
www.dw.com
The sexual abuse of male children is a taboo topic that is rarely discussed in India. DW looks at the silent struggle male survivors face.
Boys and young men are often reluctant to admit they were sexually abused [FILE]Image: Anupam Nath/AP Photo/picture alliance
Advertisement
This report contains an account from a survivor of sexual abuse.
In India's southern state of Kerala, a 16-year-old boy said he was sexually assaulted for over two years by 14 men he met through a dating app designed for the LGBTQ+ community.
Police have reportedly opened investigations into 14 men and made at least nine arrests.
Though the case has highlighted sexual violence faced by boys in a country that often comes under international focus for attacks on women, experts and survivors say the topic remains a taboo that is rarely acknowledged or discussed in India.
Shame, Silence, Stigma
DW spoke with one male survivor of sexual abuse, a 24-year-old man who preferred to remain anonymous.
He shared his story of how he was "exploited" as a young boy by his relatives, people he "trusted, looked up to and thought were protectors."
The man said the silence around the abuse he suffered was largely shaped by the overwhelming pressure of societal expectations that men should be strong — and silent.
"Society's idea of masculinity says that, if you speak up, you lose your manhood," he said.
Sociologist Vijaylakshmi Brara told DW that the reluctance to accept men as victims stemmed from traditionally rooted notions of masculinity, in which men are seen as dominant — not as victims.
"The traditional notion of 'manliness' casts men as strong and superior, making it difficult to accept that men can also be vulnerable or subjected to abuse," Brara said.
In mainstream thinking, she said, male victimhood is often dismissed, with patriarchal societies unable or unwilling to accept or even imagine that men and boys could be victims to such crimes.
The rape crisis in rural India is shrouded in silence
Society is deeply ingrained with the belief that only women are victims, leaving male experiences largely invisible," Brara said.
This experience is one shared by the survivor DW spoke with.
"No one imagines a boy could be abused," he said. "When a boy (makes allegations of sexual abuse), he's often laughed at."
A national study by India's Women and Child Development Ministry in 2007 found that more than half of boys had suffered sexual abuse, with just under a quarter experiencing a severe form of sexual abuse.
Though the study's use of a convenience sample rather than a representative one means the statistics should be viewed with caution, it nevertheless illustrates that the issue is widespread.
Male survivors are often overlooked and dismissed
Nandini Bhattacharya, who advocates for men who have survived such violence, told DW that male sexual assault survivors face unique psychological challenges — including deep shame and isolation fueled by a general disbelief in their accounts.
Survivors have to overcome a culture of victim-blaming that is tied to traditional gender norms, in which men are expected to be providers and protectors, while women are seen as weak and fragile, she explains.
"There is an increased feeling of guilt, self-blame and anxiety alongside difficulty expressing emotions and intimacy and often results in silence and reluctance to seek help or report the abuse," Bhattacharya said.
This culture of silence also means that boys are often overlooked in discussions about abuse, feminist writer Yashodhara Ray Chaudhuri said.
"Contrary to common beliefs, boys suffer abuse at rates comparable to girls, with some cases involving female abusers also," she said.
Chaudhuri said many men only revealed such experiences years later in private, highlighting the critical need to confront social taboos and broaden understanding of the abuse beyond prescribed gender frameworks.
"You should protect us not hurt us" is written on a sign at a rally with several people.
India's hidden crisis of sexual violence against boys – DW – 10/01/2025
The sexual abuse of male children is a taboo topic that is rarely discussed in India. DW looks at the silent struggle male survivors face.
www.dw.com
