Child sexual abuse (CSA) is a serious and pervasive social malady in India as it is in many areas of the world today. CSA can contribute to abnormal and arrested development, and a wide array of psychological and emotional disorders, that some children and adolescents may experience for a lifetime. In India as in other countries, intra-familial sexual abuse often goes unreported. When this occurs and children are not given the protective and therapeutic assistance they need, they are left to suffer and struggle on their own. This article discuses the nature and incidence of child abuse and neglect in India from an anthropological perspective, with an emphasis on the sexual abuse of children and youth. Current research findings pertaining to CSA in India are presented, and the socio-cultural and familial factors that put children and youth at risk for CSA are examined. The importance of neighborhood and community investment and involvement in the prevention of CSA is also highlighted.