‘With better reporting rate, there will be lesser cases of child abuse’

I faced the same in my childhood. After many years when I went to a counsellor and found that I was suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). I started working on it. In August, a three-year-old was raped in Ludhiana and the same day I got a call from Mansa about another rape case. The story that the rape victim shared pushed me to work on this issue. I was working on it as a lawyer by providing legal aid to rape victims, but later, the Punjab Education department also allowed me to work on the issue in government schools.

What challenges do you feel while educating the students about physical abuse?

It is a challenging job because people don’t like talking about ‘Sex Education’ and don’t understand its importance even though it is extremely important. But when I teach the children, I make them comfortable. Sometimes, when I try to explain to the children about good and bad touche, they don’t really understand which tells us about the gravity of the situation.

Do people co-operate? Did you face any opposition from teachers or parents?

This issue is very important now. Parents and teacher do understand the need of educating their children about physical abuse, but I still face some issues. I started working on this issue around five years ago. In comparison to five years ago there is lesser opposition today. People are becoming sensitive about the issue.

I also named this campaign as “Bachpan bachao” (save childhood).

How many schools you have covered in Punjab? When you were roped in by the education department?

Till now I have covered almost 130 government schools across the state. I started the campaign on November 6. I also formed a small team of 15 members to help me. The members include students and working professionals.

Do you meet child victims in the schools?

Yes, in every school I do meet victims, every child has story of abuse. Some students in a government school in Ferozepur district told me their stories and they named three people who abused them. After conducting the session, I lodged a complaint with the local police.

Their parents opposed my action but the SSP took serious note and an inquiry was initiated.

Do you see any change in the attitude of children as well as the teachers and parents in the schools which you have visited so far?

I cannot say that there is a drastic change. After the sessions at the schools, we do some follow ups. But the one and an important change I am noticing is that the children are becoming aware about abuse. There are instances where students tell us that they brought to the notice of their parents whenever anyone tried to abuse them. It is very important that children report such incidents. With a better reporting rate, there will be lesser cases.

What kind of effort do we need to save children in rural areas from abuse?

We need to make parents aware about abuse. Parents also need to understand and trust the children. They need to become their childrens’ friends, to allow the kids to feel comfortable in sharing everything with them. They also need legal awareness.

After your interactions with victims, who do you feel is most likely to be involved in abusing children?

In maximum cases abusers are known to the family and the victim. This is the problem. Close relatives are also the culprits in a lot of cases.