By: Bhaveeshika Charun
What is COCSA?
The term Child on Child Sexual Abuse (COCSA) is defined as sexual activity between children that occurs without consent, without equality (mentally, physically, or in age), or as a result of physical or emotional coercion.
This suggests that a power difference exists between the two children, whether in age, size, or ability. This leads to mental instability in future perspectives.
While the trauma for the victim is the same as if it had happened by an adult, this type of abuse often goes unreported—either because it’s dismissed by adults as “kids being kids” or for fear of one or both of the children to have the abuse known.
The truth is that both children need help in a situation like this. The child being abused certainly needs the appropriate care to avoid the weight of lifelong trauma that so many survivors of child sexual abuse experience, as well as the symptoms that go with it.
The child who has engaged in harmful sexual behaviour (HSB) needs help as well. Suppose they can see a licensed medical/mental health professional to help them work through these age-inappropriate sexual behaviours. In that case, they are less likely to engage in HSB again.
COCSA can be incredibly difficult to process, especially if you still have a relationship with the person who harmed you. It’s not uncommon for survivors to experience conflicting emotions after experiencing this type of abuse, including feelings of confusion, betrayal, and even a desire to maintain a relationship with the person who harmed them.
Unlike abuse perpetrated by adults, where the perpetrator is typically seen as a predator, labelling an experience as sexual abuse when another child perpetrates it can often feel less clear. Survivors may struggle to recognize the abuse within the context of childhood exploration or experimentation, making it challenging to label their experiences accurately. Research suggests that children abused by peers have greater difficulty identifying their experiences as abuse compared to those harmed by adults, which can delay help-seeking and exacerbate feelings of guilt and shame.
Societal norms about childhood innocence further complicate things, as there is often a reluctance to acknowledge that children are capable of perpetrating sexual abuse, leading to disbelief and minimization of survivors’ experiences.
References:
1. Laura Sinko PhD, MSHP, RN. (March 1, 2024) “Child-on-child Sexual Abuse (COCSA): Frequently Asked Questions and Considerations” Our Wave
https://www.ourwave.org/es/post/child-on-child-sexual-abuse-cocsa-frequently-ask ed-questions-and-considerations
2. Prof. Shreshth Bhatnagar, Assistant Professor, Alliance School of Law, Alliance University, Bangalore. (August, 2022) “Child-On-Child Sexual Abuse: A Pertinent legal Analysis” Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research https://download.ssrn.com/2024/12/2/5041393.pdf?response-content-disposition=in line&X-Amz-Security-Token=IQoJb3JpZ2luX2VjEIP%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2 F%2F%2FwEaCXVzLWVhc3QtMSJGMEQCID%2Fv306h0JbY42Kz0q06mgfoKKILYhwS fU%2FkjGFOZKDEAiBCoqIT0N9sqd%2BOEDU2UmzJvGi9nETC6GcaOvImQkLuFyq9B QhMEAQaDDMwODQ3NTMwMTI1NyIM27zh7%2FVWOde5G%2BcKKpoFFCZOGvU1 uuT9PV8%2B6iFYvrfhyrwS0JmQrol%2BKvXYqC%2B78crM19uKuPqdvNRPA47W7asO pBIjSOTaclq56%2BZhu%2BrH%2BmkhwHwerrE62zSKcTNSfk6NZtLPKD2hN40eaqE7 %2BDNU7PBWWB2ce0Ue1DScFwAUjzPHbfwXZ49gV1mmRDVUuq2FZlLa0Qh%2BA1 cwElHF%2FSzCKM6jOELMxxSqPHc8RVnZF%2BsuW7vsU9rPWpXgc%2BLPJvb%2BIX NN4n%2FyU2IydCixtlITHyjPpaKlv2%2F87x86eiuGy6OxXHVwg7DckM9SQKbkDKUs %2BzVEP6tM28e2s24bwREvHJ4YuSILEkDAP48np84m6mFCQzpfWhzAZ%2Bk8B2blI 3O0Zsc8vhAL513g%2FUpeC5h6qw9OdXZFUwkIcP0TYKMy%2FNOVdM2qKharmHm 9HIH9neyDe3UsPbW7HqdjVkE6N3HiP5rPov1hpwN1FNI%2FIwaOAHQFdqsAtsOAMg Eqtrz%2F9ESEZC%2Bbzj%2BCdlGHkwyrl27%2BceFd0S6lHWDjwCeLmWHryJH1%2Bf cAyeCtpR3urU4%2FOgAmYX2ZUOQxdAT2iTDUgDDRkK3JJX97EMhbuzvqw3LRHC0F 4EIphTMTN0MAxtdYb%2BI%2B8rG4aqbgDboBcRNQF9r9wHZ7YdWmBR5%2FN0Zb qLClthgHprCPHsXUVyub0qYvmAx6Nsf1H3x2KPhvmV3c5ntkN%2BNYI9mGqEg6Y0s I8AQ6GyCmx1K5Fsuwxwk%2BuBi7JVTeWZYZKwQS%2BcBdO5BhNbqlybr2YzvsEUQ VH7wRYY2I%2Be7CsXjdRkeDY9kStucJGuU0lBfiXHyrlytIP%2Bb2L%2FwRtF9jwBTTx0 cax7xrdVK5LLCUxNe1RDCHW39Dl%2FP2334q%2FvYBhR9FMJyJh7sGOrIBh9RfBU5I 4wPtVXnhX9wFMIcZNRUYexFneSfKni%2FW91OoxxiUe45uvxpY%2BF3hxgGuNz2Sp 1VSPG14mVw6cr4zkkHKHW1Lqc0GsMqLABxaE5mCZXVj4i%2BpgNNA2PP8uZPPFR DeZyn%2FZJPtyG7jGFLR7%2FdnXz%2BqTf35BQxMWHpSj5n9BhCFFztjHg3CWFSvn 0WxDM3AGrCp5qAxrdig8G%2FBbv9Ldt9m5yDA5epUfj2A3R2b2w%3D%3D&X-Amz Algorithm=AWS4-HMAC-SHA256&X-Amz-Date=20241217T195546Z&X-Amz-Signe dHeaders=host&X-Amz-Expires=300&X-Amz-Credential=ASIAUPUUPRWE3D5NJLC 5%2F20241217%2Fus-east-1%2Fs3%2Faws4_request&X-Amz-Signature=93b4204d8 cdf8cae88520ebb2ca22bed9847d772105f03f28e5529c30aa409f9&abstractId=5041393
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