the solution

“Read, listen, talk, drown.”

Advice given to me by faculty member and human rights activist Jasmeen Patheja who insisted that even though the effects of CSA were not in my enquiry, the process of diving into the subject of CSA would strengthen my core belief and motivate me to work through a tough subject like child abuse.

I began by getting in touch with Tulir a Non Governmental Organization in Chennai dedicated to the Prevention of CSA.
They were gracious and allowed me access to all their resources that helped lay the groundwork for my dissertation. After speaking with numerous parents, school counsellors, educators and even a survivor of CSA, I had a good idea of what direction to move in. Furthermore, the results from the anonymous online survey I conducted among 87 respondents cemented my belief on the importance of this direction.

I proposed to design, illustrate and write a book that would highlight the importance of parenting in keeping our children safe from sexual predators. I wanted this book to be a conversation starter and help adults deal with the stigma attached to this social evil. I wanted them to understand that the more we treat child sexual abuse as a taboo subject, the more difficult it is to engage in conversations about safety. I discovered that talking about safety from child sexual abuse cannot be discussed independently without focussing on parenting techniques in the Indian context. I tackled the three main problems listed above through my book, Touchy Topic.

• Contextualizing

The most important aspect of creating content is setting the messages in a context suitable to India. I noticed that some of the messages were blindly borrowed from resource material of other countries without setting them in a context.
For example, in Western society, it is not very common to ruffle another child’s hair, or to ogle at a baby if you find them cute. In India, it is harmless and a lot of well meaning people do it when they encounter children. Neighbours, grandparents and the like take these liberties and most parents don’t seem to mind. In such scenarios, safety rules like “you are the boss of your body and your body belongs to you” need to be tackled carefully keeping in mind these external factors.

• Structure vs Empowerment

Things are close to our heart when we relate to them and when the incidents are straight out of our lives. Using anecdotes, conversation starters and basic level of activities, breaks the structure of a manual. Parents feel a sense of empowerment and don’t have to necessarily follow a step by step method when they talk to their children. They look for an opportune or teaching moments which are far less contrived and more engaging and accessible.

• Parents are collaborators

The structure of Touchy Topic ensures that parents are able to think of scenarios of their own and form partnerships with other parents rather than instruct or preach to them. It treats them as adults capable of making sound decisions. The content constantly presents questions that prod them to think more deeply and simultaneously guides them to make their own choices. The ‘one glove fits all’ approach doesn’t work in such situations as parents understand their children best and can tailor make instructions to suit their threshold. An additional “authors note” has been added for well rounded understanding at the end of each section/concept.

• Conversational language

The success of the book in helping a parent talk to their child depended on how I communicated the message to the parent. Additionally, the results of the online survey I conducted showed -19% of parents were uncertain about the topic itself and 4% feared talking about it. This made it imperative to use conversational tones and abandon the lists, rules and guidelines. I chose to present the content in a way that broke the barriers between the reader and the book. I didn’t want to focus on the dark nature of CSA, instead I wanted the book to be friendly and keep the reader at ease. I used language that is simple to understand and casual without sounding preachy or didactic. Apart from the tone of voice, the nuances of spoken Indian languages add colour and I have incorporated that in the characters speech to make it seem more natural.

• Character Sketches

Characters form a crucial part of the book. They tie the story together and are reflections of prospective parents who may read Touchy Topic. Their children are characters in the book, with childlike problems and quirks. I have portrayed different kinds of parents, some involved, some a little indifferent but all with questions and solutions.

For example, in the first chapter Kalyani, a mother of two, is posed with a question by her daughter Lila. “ Can I apply powder on my face, Amma?” on account of being called dark in school. I have used the tool of a narrators voice that asks follow up questions after such situations, like - “Kalyani is in quite a dilemma. What would you have done in her place.”
Since India is so diverse in the religions that are practiced here, I tried to maintain a balance being careful not to represent all religions for fear that it may seem contrived and forceful.

• Visual Language

At first glance the book looks like it is meant for children, due to the presence of children and the simple quality of the illustrations. However, this treatment was intentional and I envisaged a product that appeared friendly and didn’t deter the parents from turning to the next page. Relatability to the lives of the characters in the book, called for an illustrative approach. To minimize the amount of visuals, i opted for spot illustrations and made sure it was only a supporting element in the book; content of course was king.

 style guide