The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has recently launched a platform for children to report cases of sexual abuse. The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) e-box is available on the NCPCR website, and the Commission has asked schools to spread awareness about it among students.
While city schools have welcomed the move, Arpan, an NGO that works on issues of child abuse, said that the initiative will work only when coupled with personal safety education (PSE) for children.
The NGO, which CLAIMS to have worked with more than 100 schools, is helping schools formulate a curriculum on PSE.
"I think it is a good initiative taken by the government, but I wonder how children are going to file complaints unless they know what an unsafe touch is," pointed out Pooja Taparia, Founder & CEO of Arpan. "Unless you do a program like PSE, I am not sure whether this POCSO e-box facility can be used properly."
According to Taparia, children should also be informed about the post-complaint process, saying it "needs to be done in a way that doesn't further betray or cause trauma to the child".
Swati Popat Vats, President of Podar Education Network, which runs schools and colleges in Mumbai, called the move a good one, adding that "children should be given a session about this facility and what type of complaints they can report".
What is POCSO Act
The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO Act) 2012 was promulgated to address sexual abuse and sexual exploitation of children. The ACT received the President's assent on June 19, 2012 and was notified on June 20, 2012.
