Definition
Acid Attack Survivors are the people (mostly women) who became the victim of the crime of acid throwing. India is among the countries where the highest number of acid attacks happen. These incidents often leave the victim with disfigured face and other body parts. Recently, the Indian government has included Acid Attack Survivors in the list of recognized disabilities under RPWD Act 2016.
Health Effects
The most notable effect of an acid attack is the lifelong bodily disfigurement. There is usually a high survival rate amongst victims of acid attacks. Consequently, the victim is faced with physical challenges, which require long-term surgical treatment, as well as psychological challenges, which require in-depth intervention from psychologists and counselors at each stage of physical recovery. These far-reaching effects on their lives impact their psychological, social and economic viability in communities.
- Medical: The medical effects of acid attacks are extensive. The severity of the damage depends on the concentration of the acid and the time before the acid is thoroughly washed off with water or neutralized with a neutralizing agent. The acid can rapidly eat away skin, the layer of fat beneath the skin, and in some cases even the underlying bone. As a majority of acid attacks are aimed at the face, eyelids and lips may be completely destroyed and the nose and ears severely damaged. In addition to these above-mentioned medical effects, acid attack victims face the possibility of sepsis, kidney failure, skin depigmentation, and even death.
- Per a recent research in Uttar Pradesh, the following was the distribution of patients according to physical injuries (n=52)
- Disfiguration of face 100%
- Loss of vision 79%
- Loss of hearing 15%
- Throat injuries 10%
- Injuries to genital area 6%
- Psychological: Acid assault survivors face many mental health issues upon recovery. One study showed that when compared to published Western norms for psychological well-being, non-Caucasian acid attack victims reported higher levels of anxiety, depression, and scored higher on the Derriford appearance scale, which measures psychological distress due to one's concern for their appearance. Additionally, female victims reported lowered self-esteem according to the Rosenberg scale and increased self-consciousness, both in general and in
the social sphere.
Per a recent research in Uttar Pradesh, the following was the distribution of
patients according to psychological issues presented (n=52):
- Loss of job - 2%
- Ostracized by society - 6%
- Loss of marriage - 4%
- Attempted suicide - 6%
- Others (anxiety, depression, insomnia, and psychological distress) - 6%
- Social: In addition to medical and psychological effects, many social implications exist for acid survivors, especially women. For example, such attacks usually leave victims handicapped in some way, rendering them dependent on either their spouse or family for everyday activities, such as eating and running errands.
These dependencies are increased by the fact that many acid survivors are not able to find suitable work, due to impaired vision and physical handicap. This negatively impacts their economic viability, causing hardships on the families/spouses that care for them. As a result, divorce rates are high, with abandonment by husbands found in 25% of acid assault cases in Uganda (compared to only 3% of wives abandoning their disfigured husbands). Moreover, acid survivors who are single when attacked almost certainly become ostracized from society, effectively ruining marriage prospects.
Causes
According to the Acid Survivors Foundation India, the motives behind acid attacks range
from something as simple as a girl rejecting a boy’s gestures of affection, to more deepseated cultural issues such as dowry. While vengeance is a key reason, there are several
other causes, as shown below:
- Rejecting offers of love/marriage/sex 36%
- Marital discord 13%
- Land/professional disputes 5%
- Dowry 5%
- No motive/for sadistic pleasure 5%
- Family disputes 5%
- Alcohol/drug-related attacks 1%
- Others (including 11% unintentional) 30%
Treatments
Victims require long-term surgical treatment, as well as in-depth intervention from psychologists and counselors at each stage of physical recovery. Per a recent research in Uttar Pradesh, the following was the distribution of patients according to surgical treatment (n=52)
- Scar revision 100%
- Split skin graft 100%
- Perioral release 77%
- Z-plasty 77%
- Ectropion release 77%
- Eyebrow creation and correction 39%
- Flap cover 15%
- Neck contracture release 8%
- Expander removal and flap insetting 8%
- Expander insertion 8%
Statistics in India
Number of acid attacks per Acid Survivors Foundation India
- 2010 - 80
- 2011 - 106
- 2012 - 106
- 2013 - 116
- 2014 - 225
- 2015 - 249
- 2016 - 307
A separate research conducted by Acid Survivors Foundation India, estimated approximately 500–1000 cases per year in India, excluding unreported incidents. There is no reliable national database to combat acid violence on a sustained basis as many cases go unreported.
Approximately 85% of the victims are females.