BACHPAN INDIA RESEARCH

Strategic National Release | February 15, 2026

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Project Ankahee: The Unreported Truth

“Project Ankahee was not merely a survey; it was an effort to give voice to stories that rarely reach formal systems and convert them into actionable insight. By analysing age of occurrence, relationship with the accused, disclosure timelines, and institutional response, we sought to build a broader, region-specific understanding of CSA.” [cite: 5-6]

— Rahul, Founder, Bachpan India

Study Objectives

  • Assess CSA prevalence among urban young adults of North-Western India. [cite: 9]
  • Understand patterns of unreported CSA (age, gender, perpetrator, type). [cite: 10]
  • Study outcomes of disclosure in terms of reporting and legal action. [cite: 11]

Areas of Investigation

The study focused on CSA Taxonomy (Age, Type, Profile), CSA Disclosure (Ability and time taken to speak out, targets), and subsequent Legal Action outcomes. [cite: 20-22]

Methodology & Regional Scope

BSTI undertook a survey utilizing custom-designed quantitative (multiple/single choice) and qualitative questions. Online surveys via Google Forms were predominantly used. [cite: 13-15]

Locations Covered: Delhi/NCR | Tricity | Punjab & Haryana | Uttar Pradesh [cite: 17]

Hotspot Insight: Over 50% of survivors hail from Tricity and Delhi NCR, marking them as the primary locations for CSA occurrence. [cite: 35]

National Risk Intensity

Spatial Clustering: Highest survivor density observed in urban clusters of North-Western India.

*Interactive Map: Powered by Google GeoCharts. No external JSON fetch required.

Sample Profile

6,886

Respondents [cite: 16]

1,651

Survivors [cite: 16]

1 in 4

Affected individuals [cite: 28]

80%

Female survivors [cite: 28]

Regional Hotspots (Spiral Intensity)

The DNA of Silence

Occurrence by Victim Age [cite: 47-61]

60% of abuse occurs before age 13; 1 in 3 victims are under age 10. [cite: 64, 193]

Abuser Profile by Age [cite: 69-92]

75% known abusers: Risk from known persons is highest for children under 10 (3 out of 4). [cite: 81, 195]

Taxonomy & Frequency

Type of Abuse [cite: 112, 116, 198-199]

Non-penetrative assault (2 in 5); 1 in 10 face the complete range including rape. [cite: 112]

Frequency of Abuse [cite: 173-174]

1 in 3 abused once; 1 in 5 faced abuse more than three times. [cite: 173]

Disclosure Barriers

Disclosure Timeline by Gender [cite: 338-377]

38% of male survivors never talk about the incident. [cite: 339]

Disclosure Target Breakdown [cite: 271-285]

Females prefer family (45%); males prefer peers (37%). [cite: 326]

Known vs Stranger Dynamics [cite: 398-399]

Abuser Relationship Disclosure Insight
Stranger 1 in 3 disclose within 1 year
Known Person 1 in 3 take at least 5 years to speak
Overall (if Known) ~6 out of 10 do not disclose [cite: 423]
Maturity Effect: Highest disclosure (60%) occurs when the child is over 14 years old.

The Justice & Punishment Gap

60%

Believed overall [cite: 606]

>55%

Believed if < 13 yrs [cite: 485]

~90%

No action taken [cite: 608]

7 in 10

Abusers unpunished [cite: 609]

Belief Differential (Male vs Female) [cite: 446-447]

Females and children under 13 are more readily believed compared to older adolescents. [cite: 485]

Survivor Narratives

narratives of courage

“I have been sexually abused many many times... I had many cousins living in the same house they abused me and when all this was happening, I was very small, so I didn't understand in that moment. Later I realized and for a long time I blamed myself.” [cite: 177-178]
“He was my cousin... tried to touch my breasts. I wake up with my clothes off. My mother told me to keep quiet... the trauma remains still. She talked to him, but he blamed it upon me.” [cite: 184-189]
“I felt like I had worms on my entire body. I couldn’t touch myself for days. I didn’t speak about it for 10ish years until an incident happened with a close person.” [cite: 411-413]
“The bus conductor touched me inappropriately... my parents asked about it and they came to my school to report that driver to the teacher and he got punished.” [cite: 596-597]

Master Intelligence Summary

  • 60% of abuse occurs before age 13. [cite: 193]
  • 1 in 3 victims are under age 10 across genders. [cite: 194]
  • 6 out of 10 abusers are known; 75% if victim is < 10. [cite: 195]
  • 2 out of 5 abuse cases (40%) are non-penetrative. [cite: 197]
  • 1 in 3 abuse cases are verbal or visual in nature. [cite: 198]
  • 1 in 10 cases include the whole gamut including rape. [cite: 199]
  • Only 2 out of 5 survivors (40%) ever disclose the incident. [cite: 256]
  • Highest disclosure (60%) occurs after age 14.
  • ~9 out of 10 cases see no formal action taken. [cite: 608]
  • 7 out of 10 abusers get away with it; 8 out of 10 if victim < 10. [cite: 609-610]

Strategic Recommendations [cite: 611-614]

  • Introduce early safe-touch education in primary schools.
  • Build confidential, child-friendly reporting channels.
  • Scale parent and caregiver awareness programs.
  • Train teachers and frontline workers in trauma response.
  • Strengthen survivor-centric legal processes.

Thank You!!

Project Ankahee | Bachpan India | 2026