Let one zero nine eight
Decide the criminal’s fate.
According to the data released by the National Crime Record Bureau, as many as 109 children were sexually abused every day in the year 2018. The year also saw an increase in the number of cases registered under POCSO (Protection of Children From Sexual Offences) Act. The report titled Crime in India 2018 says that 32,608 cases were reported in 2017 under the POCSO Act, while 39,827 cases were reported in 2018. When it comes to cases of crime against children in 2008, the number of such cases recorded stands at 22,500. This number increased to 1,41,764 in 2018, whereas 1,29,032 cases were recorded in the year 2017.
Crimes against children are increasing day by day. Parent-child communication is the best tool to educate children against such crimes. When they are aware of what is good and what is bad, they can easily identify the crime and can report. But such cases are rising in shelter homes and orphanages also, so there is a need for educating these children about what child sexual abuse is and how can they protect themselves from it.
The number of registered cases are huge in number. That apart, there are also cases also where kids are victimised but are not aware of what happened to them. This reflects the lack of education and the instant need for educating them.
1098, is India’s first and world’s largest 24-hour telephonic helpline service. It works for children in agony across the country. There are six call centres of the childline across India. The call centres are present in cities such as Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai and Bengaluru. It forms a strong child protection network, the case report is forwarded to the field partner in the concerned city. A team member from a field partner of Childline India Foundation rushes to the rescue of the child within an hour or two and ensures the safety of the child. To ensure the effectiveness of the system, the partner has to report back to Childline with the final status of the child post-intervention.
The service operates in 366 cities in 24 states and union territories. Supported by the Ministry of Women and Child Development, Government of India, the service has a strong network of over 750 partner organisations that ensure the safety of children across India. As of 2016, Childline responds in over 25 languages. And this dynamic nature of the helpline makes it effective and one of the preferred modes of reporting child abuse cases across India.
Every child has a right to know about the child helpline number because it works for their protection. It provides them with a fearless and liberated environment to live in. This helps children fight against the evil i.e. child sexual abuse. If they know the difference between good and bad touch, they can easily identify if they are being abused and can conveniently report the matter.
The hectic daily schedule of the elders makes children more vulnerable to these crimes, so they should be taught the basics of CSA and the helpline number. They can easily remember the helpline number by counting backwards till 8. They should be taught the difference between good and bad touch through different poems and stories. If a child is taught basic life skills in self-awareness, assertiveness and self-protection; that child will stand a much better chance of not becoming a victim to violence and sexual abuse.
Child sexual abuse is also seen as a taboo in our society. Public education about the true nature of CSA will help break the silence and taboo that surrounds child sexual abuse and may facilitate the formulation of effective solutions to the problem.
A powerful public message must be transmitted to the general public, encouraging society to recognize that child sexual abuse is both everyone’s problem and responsibility. The goal is to eliminate any tolerance for sexual abuse or confusion over what society condones as appropriate interactions between adults and children. Promoting the notion that child sexual abuse is everyone’s responsibility will make the crime unacceptable in society.
Promoting new child sexual abuse programmes and strengthening the existing ones can benefit in this process. The lack of conclusive outcomes does not necessarily mean that such programs are ineffective. These child abuse prevention programs help to educate preschool and elementary school children on how to recognize instances of abuse and teaching them personal safety skills. Parents and caretakers should also be trained in hand in hand with the children. They should be aware of what to do when a child discloses sexual abuse, how to report sexual abuse, and how to respond to the child’s needs when disclosure is made.
Given the fact that approximately 40% of child sexual abuse victims are aged 6 and younger, they are incapable of resisting abusive behaviour by a person elder than him/her. In this case, the self-protection which they have learned will not work and thus, adults must exercise an affirmative obligation to safeguard children from sexual abuse. Efforts must be made to create programs that shift the responsibility of child sexual abuse prevention from children to adults and public institutions.
As most child abusers are men, we should also educate young boys to be more empathic to girls and women as they grow into adults. One can become his own bodyguard if they know what is wrong and how to get out of the distress situation. A helpline provides a good platform to come out of the situation. So, it is very important for any child to know about the child helpline number.