Violence at home does not always have to manifest itself in a physical form. Emotional and verbal abuse can be quite detrimental and scarring for people as well. Anita (name changed) is a victim of commercial sexual exploitation, with whom the Prerana team has been following up. She exited the juvenile justice system after turning 18 and shifted into an aftercare facility. During the COVID-19 lockdown, she moved back in with her mother.

Anita came into the juvenile justice system, as a child in need of care and protection whose mother wanted her to be placed in an institution. The mother felt that the locality in which the family lived was not safe for the child. She had also come across incidents where Anita was found with items stolen from her neighbors. She had observed that the child’s behavior was getting aggressive, and felt that the child would be safer in a child care institution.

After Anita’s case was referred to Prerana, through regular interactions, the child gradually shared that she had been a victim of commercial sexual exploitation and that the perpetrator lived in her community. When Anita had been forced into the sex trade, the abusers would also force her to consume alcohol, causing issues of substance dependency in her. She struggled with alcohol and drug addiction, and would often exhibit withdrawal symptoms when she was in institutional care. 

During the lockdown, the conflict between Anita and her mother increased significantly. As per her mother, Anita would smoke at home and seems to steal things from others. Anita, on the other hand, appears to be troubled by her mother shaming her for being exploited. Her mother is aware of the trauma that she has gone through but often is often reactive and insensitive to Anita. She often does not come home anymore, to avoid conflict. Her mother tells the social worker that she wants nothing to do with her daughter anymore.

Victims of sexual violence are more vulnerable to recivitimisation and emotional abuse. In this case, emotional violence took a heavy toll on the victim, pushing her further away from her mother. Anita’s mother thinks she is well-meaning but her behavior has caused emotional harm, amplifying Anita’s trauma and vulnerabilities.