Child Sexual Abuse in Madurai, India: A Literary Review and Empirical Study

Abstract

This article attempts to explore the cultural and patriarchal relevance of child sexual abuse in a conservative town in India, with a special interest in understanding the current problems experienced by teenage girls in India. A questionnaire was distributed to 100 respondents who belonged to Thiagarajar College of Engineering, Thiruparangundram, Madurai. The questionnaire was developed with special reference to the female protagonist, Lily in Jaishree Misra’s Secrets and Lies. The resulting article also includes an e-interview with Jaishree Misra. The researchers hypothesize that change can be envisioned when the social conscience is awakened to cruel events that happen in the Indian population. Change regarding social events must go even further to allow children to blossom and experience the joys of childhood.

KEYWORDS:

• sexual abuse
• questioning
• children
• family
• Jaishree Misra
• Lily
• change
• cultural issues

Additional information

Notes on contributors

R. K. Jaishree Karthiga

R. K. Jaishree Karthiga, MA, MPhil, PGDJMC, DCE, PGDELT, is an assistant professor of English at Thiagarajar College of Engineering, Madurai, India. She is on the verge of completing her PhD in Indian Writing in English. She is a Business English Certificate trainer and a coursework designer for First Semester Bridge Course. She is an abled coordinator of ToastMasters. She has presented many papers in national and international conferences. She has 13 research papers to her credit published in national and international Journals.

Arulappan Tamilselvi

Arulappan Tamilselvi, MA, BEd, PGCTE, MPhil, PhD, is an associate professor of English at Thiagarajar College of Engineering, Madurai, India. She is a BEC trainer and course work designer for Technical English and Professional Communication. She is guiding PhD scholars in areas of literature and ELT. She has presented many papers in national and international conferences. Her noteworthy publications are in the Indian Journal of Postcolonial Literatures and the Journal of English Language Teaching.

Roopa Ravikumar

Roopa Ravikumar, MA, MPhil, PhD, is an associate professor of social sciences at Lady Doak College, Madurai, India. She has 20 years of experience in teaching and research. She has guided 68 undergraduate projects and 25 postgraduate projects. Her areas of interest include sociology, health psychology gerontology, and society and literature. She is the staff advisor and counselor for “Youth in 2020 A.D.” in collaboration with the Department of Futurology, Madurai Kamaraj University.