DNA India, Sep 1, 2013
Being the most vulnerable members of society, children not only need to be the most protected but safety measures concerning them are an absolute imperative. Nishit Kumar, Head Communications and Strategic Initiatives at Childline India Foundation, that provides a helpline to children, delves on the existing measures, legal and otherwise, for child safety in India.
Read on : http://www.dnaindia.com/india/1882048/report-4-15-million-emergency-calls-made-to-indian-children-s-safety-helpline-in-the-last-year
Being the most vulnerable members of society, children not only need to be the most protected but safety measures concerning them are an absolute imperative. Nishit Kumar, Head Communications and Strategic Initiatives at Childline India Foundation, that provides a helpline to children, delves on the existing measures, legal and otherwise, for child safety in India.
how safe are children in India?
To answer this very question, Childline undertook a study called the ‘The Everywhere Child Project’. Through this research, they wanted to assess the existing child safety and protection mechanisms across spaces that children usually occupy. What they found, was a disturbing revelation of blatant abuse of child rights. Some of the statistics are given below:
* 28% schools did not have separate toilets for boys and girls
* Less than 2% schools had counsellors
* Only 1% schools have sexual harassment policy
* 67% of healthcare centers have no child protection related policy
* Only 6% institutional homes maintain a record of abuse case
* Only 30% of railway security forces have booths that provide assistance to missing and other vulnerable children
To answer this very question, Childline undertook a study called the ‘The Everywhere Child Project’. Through this research, they wanted to assess the existing child safety and protection mechanisms across spaces that children usually occupy. What they found, was a disturbing revelation of blatant abuse of child rights. Some of the statistics are given below:
* 28% schools did not have separate toilets for boys and girls
* Less than 2% schools had counsellors
* Only 1% schools have sexual harassment policy
* 67% of healthcare centers have no child protection related policy
* Only 6% institutional homes maintain a record of abuse case
* Only 30% of railway security forces have booths that provide assistance to missing and other vulnerable children
The above essentially fosters a thriving platform for abuse of the child. To add to that, the statutory bodies, the key organs to facilitate child protection, showed the following numbers:
* Of the Juvenile Justice Board (JJB) reviewed, 55% of them serve only 1 district
* Less than one-fourth of the JJBs sit on all regular working days, and 44% sit only once a week.
* Less than 10% police stations have a designated space for dealing with children, while only a little over 10% police station have a designated staff to deal with such matters
* Only 20% police stations have a sexual harassment policy, and about 27% have a child protection policy
* Of the Juvenile Justice Board (JJB) reviewed, 55% of them serve only 1 district
* Less than one-fourth of the JJBs sit on all regular working days, and 44% sit only once a week.
* Less than 10% police stations have a designated space for dealing with children, while only a little over 10% police station have a designated staff to deal with such matters
* Only 20% police stations have a sexual harassment policy, and about 27% have a child protection policy
“There is a tendency to presume that the child is safe in certain environments without any further inquiry. However, that may not be so. For instance, the concept of neglect of a child at home has little or ineffective legal implications in India.”
Read on : http://www.dnaindia.com/india/1882048/report-4-15-million-emergency-calls-made-to-indian-children-s-safety-helpline-in-the-last-year
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