Special assessment and trauma counselling session for rape victims held
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, March 22 2015: Social Upliftment Association under the aegis of Department of Social Welfare held a one-day Special Assesment and Trauma Counselling Session (for client children and parents) at MVHA, Ningthem Pukhri Mapan today.

Rape victims, especially children, were found more liable to long term depression than adult victims during the counselling.

The session provided counselling to 12 child rape victims including four from children homes, Manipur Alliance for Child Rights convenor K Pradipkumar informed.

The counselling team detected that in most cases these children are victims of depression.

They are unable to emerge from the trauma and the pain left behind by a single incident that seem to have affected them both physical and emotionally.

These victims, Pradipkumar added, are unable to express themselves openly with their family and friends.

They are constantly under the fear of being criticised and laughed at.

Today's counselling session was the first of its kind in the State.

Most victims are left to cope with the trauma on their own.

Emphasising on the need to provide better counselling to these victims Pradipkumar opined that, perhaps, counselling could help to minimize the pain faced by these children.

The State must, he added, come up with a scheme where these victims along with their parents/family are given free counselling at their doorstep.

Clinical psychologist Paonam Thoibi, during her speech said even though the experience felt by these victim are totally different, most of them report a case of longterm depression arising from the incident.

The traumas, as these children grow up, seem only to intensify rather than subside.

As such, Thoibi added, these children need to be treated in a special manner to help them overcome the guilt and trauma associated with rape.

"Love them, care for them, fuel them with hope, that's the only solution," Thoibi said.

"Timely counselling is very important", she added.

"Without counselling these children might face difficulty growing up" .

New Life Foundation secretary L Pishak Singh, during his speech, appealed to the State Government to come up with schemes to ensure a safer and better life for these child victims.

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