At this home for juveniles, inmates get training in gender sensitivity and more
At Nehru Udyog Kendra, trainers teach responsible sexual behaviour to juvenile inmates through open conversation, role plays and films.
4 min read
A training session at the observation home. ( Express Photo)
AT A time when the country recalls the ghastly December 16 rape case in New Delhi and people are debating over whether or not the juvenile involved in the crime should have been released, over 40 adolescent boys lodged in the Nehru Udyog Kendra Observation Home for juveniles in conflict with law in Yerawada are making a statement—there is room for improvement, there is hope for change.
The observation home turns into a stage— wherein a role play session is on. The objective is to make the participants understand the trauma a victim who has been sexually assaulted undergoes. The trainers are in loss of words as they see a 16-year-old boy play the role of the victim. Upon inquiry, the boy, a juvenile held for a serious crime, opens up to the trainers and his peers, and narrates the trauma he underwent when he was a small boy. What follows, is an eerie silence.
The role play is part of a training programme held for juvenile inmates at the observation home by a Pune-based organisation named Pankh, which works for child rights. The officials are training the inmates on sexuality, gender sensitivity, natural attraction between human beings and responsible sexual behaviour.
Smita Apte, founder of Pankh, says: “Our entire team of 15 workers had to go through a process of unlearning and learning as in this case, we were interacting with kids of a completely different background and mental state. At the outset, we had to dispel this strong feeling among these boys that they were rejected by the society and that they were not liked by their family members. Another challenge was to deal with the anger that was result of these notions.”
The complete training programme for a batch of juveniles comprises 18 to 20 sessions, conducted by experienced social workers and psychologists.”After the sessions on anger management, we move to sensitising the boys, making them aware of their own body. We also show them a film on sexuality and gender sensitivity.”
The observation home houses boys who have been held for murder, attempted murder, rape, molestation, thefts and robberies in the age group of 15 to 18.
Apte says, “These boys have mostly seen the dark side of the world and so is the case with their experiences of sexuality. We have to make efforts to educate them that sex is a very personal notion and is a matter of choice and it is extremely important that the choice of the other person is respected. Many boys have had physical relations, some with commercial sex workers, some with the girls whom they call their ‘girlfriends’. It is important that we make them understand that even a touch, a text message, a photo or a video can lead to mental trauma. “
Another important part of the session is creating awareness about the legal provision that deals with rape, molestation and sexual abuse of children. “We tell them about the legal framework and what consequences one would have to face if they commit these crimes. There are role-playing sessions in which boys are made to play a victim of a sexual abuse and those of abusers. The experiences that we come across in these sessions are an eye-opener and tell us that we, as trainers, would have to evolve further to effectively handle these cases. We even take help from theatre actors to portray the trauma that a victim of sexual abuse undergoes.”
Trainers recall several instances in which the boys later approached them and opened up about their personal issues leading to an exchange of emotions which many of them are deprived of, because of the background they come from, says Apte.
Sharad Kurhade, the superintendent of the observation home says, “As we interact with the boys, we observe a positive change in them after these session.”
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