Powai schools sensitise girls about sexual abuse

Vibha Singh

The figures tally with the Central Government figures which point out that India has the dubious distinction of having the world's largest number of sexually abused children with a child below 16 years raped every 155 minutes, a child below 10 every 13th hour, and one in every 10 children sexually abused at any point in time. These figures resoundingly break the silence that surrounds sexual abuse of children and perpetuates the evil.

It's a message being sent out by the state education department to around 20,000 girls studying in 247 government-aided schools and it couldn't have come at a more opportune time in the aftermath of the New Year molestation incident. Schools in Powai are holding extra classes to sensitise their girls about sexual hararrasement.

Suman Shinde, an Education Inspector, said, ''When a father is showing affection, he will touch your head. But if he touches anywhere else, learn to say no.'' The children will hopefully learn to recognise these signs and use them to stand up for themselves with help from these seminars.

Says Cherian George, Principal, Kendriya Vidalaya, IIT Powai, "We have got our staff trained from the National Adoption Centre on the issue of sexual abuse. Our teachers keep on conducting programmes for girls on this issue where they are told about the safe and unsafe touch."

The experts heartilythank such workshops wherein the children learn the difference between an affectionate pat and inappropriate touching, training them to refuse inducements offered by potential offenders and learning what to do when in doubt. All this is done after meetings with the school staff watching out for their wards. Though it's an honest attempt to sensitise the girl child, but many feel that's only half the problem solved.

Molestation is an everyday phenomenon but rarely do women complain and such workshops will help them speak up, felt the people attending the workshop.

Geetanjali Thakkar a resident of Powai and teacher in a private school, said, "Our school had taken the initiative to have a programme on sexual abuse of the girl child and we faced resistance from people in our school only. Most of them thought that we have started sex education in school and did not understand the importance of the issue,” he said. 

Pooja Taparia, director of Arpan, said, "There are many schools which are not ready to tackle the issue because when we had approached them to conduct our programmes we have faced resistance. We had to then explain to the directors that we are not giving sex education but we want to train their girl students on their personal safety which includes information about safe and unsafe touch."

"Homes, schools and neighbourhoods are unsafe for our children as most people don't even believe that hitting or sexually abusing a child is a serious crime," said Kailash Sathyarthi of Bachpan Bachao Andolan, the Save the Childhood movement.

Says Giriraj Vithal, a resident of Powai, "Many parents feel that the State Government, in coordination with the school authorities, should start the programme on sexual abuse and encourage the girls to fight against the issue rather than keeping quiet about it.

The school managements should seek regular feedbacks from students and parents about the performance and conduct of teachers. Also, parents should carefully check the background of private tutors before entrusting their wards to them.”

Many felt that the laws need to be strengthened and mindsets need to be changed if we are serious about protecting our children.

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