Joint effort to tackle child sexual abuse in schools

Date:06/07/2009 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2009/07/06/stories/2009070654590500.htm
Tamil Nadu - Madurai
Joint effort to tackle child sexual abuse
Special Correspondent
MADURAI: A collective effort, involving teachers and officials of School Education Department, will be launched against child sexual abuse through all schools in the State.
P. Peruamalsamy, Director of School Education, told The Hindu here on Saturday that tackling child sexual abuse would be made a component of adolescent education and counselling. “This is a sensitive issue…and teachers/headmasters in all schools will have to be sensitised to prevent incidents of child sex abuse.” He was in the city to address the first awareness programme for District Educational Officers on ‘Prevention of child sexual abuse,’ organised by the Directorate of School Education, with UNICEF funding.
Earlier, addressing the DEOs, Mr. Perumalsamy said that the message to be vigilant against child abuse must reach teachers in every school. “Sexual abuse of children does not necessarily happen only in schools. It can take place on the way to school and at any other place. So, schools must have a mechanism to address the issue.”
The Director said that headmasters must immediately approach the police in case there was a complaint of sexual abuse. “The school must not try to cover up the issue…”
V. Raja Rajeswari, Joint Director (Vocational Education), said that this was the first time in the State that a special training session was conducted for the officials on sexual abuse of children. “The Department of School Education is taking steps to create awareness and a complaint cell is functioning at the Directorate office in Chennai. People call on the number 044-28273591 to lodge complaints.”
A similar training programme is being organised for Chief Educational Officers of all districts at Courtallam on July 11.
Nancy Thomas, programme facilitator at Tulir, a Centre for the Prevention and Healing of Child Sexual Abuse, conducted a session on how schools could play an effective role in preventing child abuse. “Teachers must know how to respond to a situation. Children affected by sexual abuse need supporting adults to instil confidence.”
© Copyright 2000 - 2009 The Hindu

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Invitation to interactive session - Safe Schools: Supporting schools address child sexual abuse, holistically

When you know better,  you do better   - Maya Angelou Protecting children is no longer an option – it is a responsibility vested in each one of us.  And schools are at the front line of child protection w ith a large part of the truly "awake" time of a child's waking hours being spent at school. N eedless to state the school and the community of educators are one of the most significant aspects of a child's  world and we also know that educators care for their students and their welfare and safety at all times. A school’s integrity and worth is not based on whether cases of  sexual  violence  happen to children on its rolls. Instead it is based on the acceptance of the possibilities of  occurrence and preemptive steps taken to  both safeguard and respond in a timely and appropriate way to ensure that its children may benefit from its caring and foresight to truly have the right to be safe all the time, ...
Read more

Nov. 19 - World Day for the Prevention of Child Abuse

Image
Alerting Governments and civil society organizations to play a more active role in the promotion of and respect for the rights of the child (article 19 and 34 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child), and contribute to the prevention of child abuse, WWSF (www.woman.ch) launched in 2000 the World Day for Prevention of Child Abuse, a Day to be commemorated every 19 November in synergy with the anniversary of the International Day for the rights of the child (20 November) which has as its objective to be a rallying point around the issue of child abuse and the need for urgent effective prevention programs. The World Day for Prevention of Child Abuse is a process for the emergence of a culture of prevention around the issue of violence against girls and boys. Alerting Governments, civil society organizations and concerned citizens to play a more active role in the respect, promotion and fulfillment of rights of all children and contribute to the prevention of violence against children...
Read more