Visualizing Child Sexual Abuse in Pakistani Television Drama Udaari: A Multimodal Analysis and Survivors’ Testimonies

Abstract

Child sexual abuse (CSA) represents a grave societal concern that may result in lasting psychological and emotional consequences for survivors. Media representations can enhance public comprehension of CSA, while simultaneously influencing perceptions of its severe consequences. This study examines the representation of child sexual abuse in the Pakistani television series Udaari and compares it with the actual experiences of CSA survivors in Pakistan. The research specifically analyzes the visual discursive techniques employed to depict CSA, explores the traumatic narratives recounted by survivors, and assesses how well the drama aligns with their actual experiences. The research utilizes a qualitative framework, implementing Multimodal Critical Discourse Analysis (MCDA) to examine selected scenes that illustrate the experiences of the main victim, Zaibo, throughout 25 episodes of Udaari. The visual analysis emphasizes on gaze, composition, distance, angle, posture, setting, lighting, and facial expressions. The second set of data consists of two interviews with CSA survivors, which were analyzed thematically. Freud's (1896) and Caruth's (1995) "Trauma Theory" serves as a theoretical framework for understanding the lived and depicted traumatic experiences of child abuse survivors. The findings reveal significant similarities between the play and survivors' experiences, particularly in terms of anxiety, avoidance, impaired trust, insomnia, and nightmares. The study emphasizes how crucial it is that CSA be portrayed in the media in a sensitive and responsible manner.