Post By: Ann Lijo
Child Exploitation, whether it’s through sexual abuse, trafficking, child marriage, labor or modern slavery is one of the most pressing social injustice issues in India. But community education remains to be one of the most reformative methods in undertaking these crimes. It is so critical that we promote the 3 keys to combatting exploitation with community: Education and Awareness, Local Initiatives and Advocacy, and Community Engagement.
1.Education and Awareness
1.1.Awareness Programs
Initiatives such as these equip people with the tools of recognizing the signs of abuse, comprehending legal frameworks, and knowing exactly where to seek help. Bal Raksha Bharat's intervention in Rajasthan with the "Marriage: No Child’s Play” program aimed at child marriage and educated communities and prepared the with strategies to stand against this practice. The initiative’s success was proven with the reduction of child marriages as well as several villages declaring themselves child marriage-free.
2. Policy and Advocacy
2.1 Local Initiatives and Advocacy
The rapid development of unplanned urbanization has led to an immense number of children on the streets, homeless. These children are highly vulnerable to abuse and trafficking. A study in Varanasi, India showed that street children had commonly experiences several forms of abuse, but physical abuse was the highest at an alarming 74%.But the shock here is that the police was 25% of the abuse came from the police as a perpetrator. Younger children were also much more vulnerable. Remember, this data was only accounted for 415 children out of this large proportion. Local initiatives that consist of members of the community defending children is also very effective. Bal Raksha Bharat's work with Children in Street Situations (CISS) exemplifies this approach. By developing and implementing the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for Care and Protection of Children in Street Situations, the organization addressed needs but also involved local stakeholders in its execution. This collaborative has happened in multiple states, and it underscores the importance of community involvement and support in child protection.
2.2 Competency-Based Training:
Bal Raksha Bharat continues to be providing district-level authorities with Competency-Based Training (CBT) since the Integrated Child Protection Scheme (ICPS) was put into effect in 2013.This training will improve India's overall child protection framework by equipping local officials to address child protection concerns in an efficient manner.
3. Involvement with the Community
3.1 Taking Care of the Homeless Children:
The comprehensive strategy used by Bal Raksha Bharat to help homeless children includes educating the public, expediting the issuing of identity documents, and forming alliances with neighborhood organizations. After their 2012 study revealed a high number of street children in India, they took action that has significantly improved the lives of these youngsters.Working with the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has established a precedent for successful community-based intervention. and amending the SOP to make it more family
3.2 Encouraging Online Safety:
Bal Raksha Bharat's project on online safety for children in Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu tackles the escalating issues of cyber safety in light of the growth in digital connectivity. The project contributes to making the internet a safer place for young users by providing educators with training and informing kids about the dangers of using it.
How Can You Participate?
Here are some ways our readers can help:
Volunteer: Participate in local or national campaigns to fund advocacy and educational projects.
Donate: Make a donation below to support the ongoing initiatives and campaigns of groups like these, and other trusted charities.
See our Trusted Charities page for more info on what exactly they can do.
Advocate: Spread the word about child safety and protection issues in your community and support local and international initiatives that improve child safety.
Sources (APA Citation Format):
N;, S. M. (n.d.). Plight of street children: An explorative study from Varanasi, India. Indian journal of public health. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27976651/
Child protection. UNICEF India. (n.d.). https://www.unicef.org/india/what-we-do/child-protection
Child Protection Services for Needy. Bal Raksha Bharat. (2024, June 6). https://balrakshabharat.org/child-protection/
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