The report highlighted the alarming figures and information on child sexual abuse in India. Social taboo and stigma attached to child sexual abuse and lack of faith in the system’s ability to respond and deliver emerged as key factors that kept children away from reporting abuse.

First, on the basis of primary data collected in a rural setting in the State of Orissa, an attempt has been made in this paper to compare the socioeconomic status of male- and female- headed households.