Understanding Child Safety and Protection: A Comprehensive Workshop for Educators
Child abuse isn’t just about black eyes and injuries. While physical abuse is shocking, not all signs of child abuse are as obvious or easy to detect.. Ignoring a child’s needs, putting them in unsupervised, dangerous situations, comparing them or belittling them, or making them feel worthless or stupid are also forms of child abuse and neglect—and they can leave deep, lasting scars on kids.
On 4th Of March our school invited Ms. Sanah Batta,legal expert ,educationist and child safety activist, to conduct a valuable workshop for educating both School staff and parents about the legal provisions available in the Constitution to safeguard children’s well-being and protection. There are several laws and regulations in India that address different aspects of child protection. Some of the important ones include the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO), the Juvenile Justice Act, and the Right to Education Act. These laws aim to prevent child abuse, exploitation, and neglect, and provide appropriate care and support to children in need. As an advocate, and child protection specialist, Ms. Sanah Batta through her talk and interactions with the audience spoke about hitherto unknown facts and what one should do as a first response in the event of an untoward incident . Ms Batta gave much needed guidance on safety checklists that schools must follow and shared numbers of child helplines. She also shared the reporting procedure that caregivers must be aware of.
Protecting children from harassment, particularly sexual harassment, is of utmost importance. It is essential to educate children about body safety and boundaries, and teach them how to identify warning signs of harassment, such as sudden mood changes or reluctance to attend certain activities. Open communication and trust are also crucial in creating a safe environment where children can report any incidents of harassment.
Ms. Sanah Bhatta was accompanied by a counsellor Ms YogaSudha Kundukuri who gave valuable insights on child behaviour and also addressed queries by both teachers and parents. It is crucial to recognize behavioral changes such as withdrawal, restlessness,mood swings , sudden changes in eating, and anxiety as possible markers of abuse, regardless of gender, age, or ethnicity. The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) was also mentioned as a legal framework for safeguarding children’s rights. The session concluded with a comprehensive discussion and analysis of the staff’s readiness to confront such challenges and protect children from harm. Overall, it is encouraging to see such efforts to raise awareness and promote child protection in society.
