The recent rape of a six-year-old
schoolgirl in a reputed Bangalore school jolted the nation’s conscience. Even
as a national outrage ensued, several shocking incidents of child abuse were reported
across the country. Crimes against children are indeed reaching alarming
proportions. The National Crime Records Bureau reported a total of 58,224
crimes against children, up 52 percent from last year and a whopping rise by
133 percent over 2009! And these are just what have been reported. A government
report in 2007 highlighted 53 percent children have faced one or more forms of
sexual abuse. It is a fact that most cases go unreported for the fear of social
stigma, an inept bureaucracy and judicial system.
The Bangalore incident is outrageous
more so since a child was abused within the vicinity which was supposed to
protect and nurture her! The management’s callous and unscrupulous
approach of allegedly covering up the crime and destroying evidence is
despicable. It highlights the need for parents to understand the core values of
the school vis-à-vis the projected glamour in its sales pitch or brochures. It
also emphasises the pertinent need for doing a thorough background and criminal
record check when inducting school faculty and for providing regular
counselling to school staff.
Technically, it 's a wake-up call to
schools all over the country particularly the government since most government
schools are without functional toilets, boundary walls and any basic security!
According to a 2012 survey by a children’s foundation, only 10 per cent schools
had a child protection policy. Even though the Protection of Children from
Sexual Offences (POSCO) Act came into effect in 2012, a meagre number of
schools have complied.
While child abuse is yet another
eventuality of lack of stringent punitive measures, a crippled social/economic
environment and an apathetic bureaucracy, one of the most inadvertent causes is
the society itself. It stems from the recesses of a society’s darkest alleys
and personnel from schools as other professionals are of course an extension of
it. Could WE have a role in the thriving of this evil? Let’s reflect. How do we
treat a child? How seriously do we listen to a little voice? Do we encourage
children to speak up?
Even in education, far too much
emphasis has been given to respect teachers rather than respect oneself first;
on being obedient rather than take initiatives or lead or learning to state
differences of opinion; on inducing discipline at all costs! Are we treating
our children with the respect they deserve so they know the difference when
they are being treated otherwise and are confident to oppose it? Spine-chilling
visuals of a three-year-old being brutally beaten and kicked around by his
tutor and that of a visually impaired child being beaten by his teachers speak
of a deeply embedded issue.
The issue highlights a critical miss
of the Indian society which believes that discipline and corporal punishment go
hand-in-hand. How can respect be derived from children when it is withdrawn
from them? What good does locking a child in a dark room serve? A school’s
perspective when it comes to protecting or disciplining a child speaks volumes
of its commitment to preserve and respect the sanctity of a child’s
being.
Positive disciplinary techniques can
be used to assist children acquire correct behaviour without the fear of
violence. However, most teachers aren’t equipped or are too understaffed to
handle so many kids. Patience wears thin; unsurprisingly, the very first
casualty is the confidence of the child! Unfortunately, abusers prey on such
timid and battered spirits.
A floundered parent community in
Bangalore was quoted describing the sports instructor who raped the six-year
old - “He looked normal”, “He is married”, “His wife is pregnant”, etc. These
are stereotypical assumptions we keep encountering in our campaign against
child abuse which we initiated years back. Child abuse rattles us and we can’t
believe that humans can assuage the role of monsters with such ease but the
fact is that there is no ‘type’ or an abuser profile. For certainty though,
they thrive on silence. A child’s!
‘Chuppi todo’ or ‘Break the silence’
is a crucial activity we undertake by sensitising children, as young as two years,
to ‘good and bad touch’. But undoubtedly, the most important aspect is the
trust a child shares with the parent which enables her to be herself, stand for
her beliefs, speak up loudly and be confident she will be listened to. ‘Disciplining’ shouldn’t be at the
cost of breaking that sacred bond.
Every child is worthy of our absolute attention. The most important belief we must embed in our young through our interaction with them at home and school is best summed by the tagline of a popular commercial - ‘I am worth it!’
Every child is worthy of our absolute attention. The most important belief we must embed in our young through our interaction with them at home and school is best summed by the tagline of a popular commercial - ‘I am worth it!’
