Siri Hustvedt, an American novelist, rightly quotes “Children are not in a position to assess risk and safety; it must be done for them, and it must be done carefully.”
Child sexual abuse has become prevalent in today’s fast paced world. Since the abuser is usually a person known to the child, they are unable to understand that what they are going through is unacceptable. They can sense awkwardness but are unable to decide how to react to such situations. Therefore, it is our responsibility to make them aware of sexual abuse and teach them the right way to react towards it.
We at BVM Global, Bengaluru, consider it a moral responsibility to create a child centric safe environment for our students. Every year, the school organises mandatory POCSO sessions for its teaching staff as well as sub-staff to make them aware of this heinous crime and of the steps that can be taken in order to prevent it from happening. This year also, an informative and interactive POCSO session was conducted in school by Ms Malini who works with the NGO – ENFOLD.
Ms Malini spoke in detail about the various kinds of child sexual abuses. She made the audience aware of the fact that in most cases the abuser is the child’s own family member, relative or a family friend. She focussed on the fact that one should never be ignorant if one observes a significant behavioural change in a child. She insisted that child safety is an adult and community responsibility. She introduced three important Apps developed by Enfold, , CDAC (Min of Electronics and Information Technology, Govt of India), with support from UNICEF, namely-
Child sexual abuse has become prevalent in today’s fast paced world. Since the abuser is usually a person known to the child, they are unable to understand that what they are going through is unacceptable. They can sense awkwardness but are unable to decide how to react to such situations. Therefore, it is our responsibility to make them aware of sexual abuse and teach them the right way to react towards it.
We at BVM Global, Bengaluru, consider it a moral responsibility to create a child centric safe environment for our students. Every year, the school organises mandatory POCSO sessions for its teaching staff as well as sub-staff to make them aware of this heinous crime and of the steps that can be taken in order to prevent it from happening. This year also, an informative and interactive POCSO session was conducted in school by Ms Malini who works with the NGO – ENFOLD.
Ms Malini spoke in detail about the various kinds of child sexual abuses. She made the audience aware of the fact that in most cases the abuser is the child’s own family member, relative or a family friend. She focussed on the fact that one should never be ignorant if one observes a significant behavioural change in a child. She insisted that child safety is an adult and community responsibility. She introduced three important Apps developed by Enfold, , CDAC (Min of Electronics and Information Technology, Govt of India), with support from UNICEF, namely-
1. Surakshit App, which provides personal safety rules for 6 -18 year olds
2. Bal Suraksha App to prevent and manage child sexual abuse
3. Stri Suraksha App to recognize and report violence against women
As responsible adults, it is our duty to make the world a safe place for our children. They are our future and they deserve to be loved and protected. As Nelson Mandela once suitably said, “The true character of a society is revealed in how it treats its children.”
Poonam Sharma
PGT English
BVM Global, Bengaluru
2. Bal Suraksha App to prevent and manage child sexual abuse
3. Stri Suraksha App to recognize and report violence against women
As responsible adults, it is our duty to make the world a safe place for our children. They are our future and they deserve to be loved and protected. As Nelson Mandela once suitably said, “The true character of a society is revealed in how it treats its children.”
Poonam Sharma
PGT English
BVM Global, Bengaluru
