Child abuse rife in slums

More than 50 per cent of child abuse cases reported in Delhi are from slums or backward areas, said experts present at the Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights (DCPCR) at the quarterly inter-departmental co-ordination meeting on Friday.

According to figures provided by the World Health Organisation (WHO), 57.8 per cent child abuse cases take place in Indian homes, but go unreported.

“We have a legal remedy for this but it is difficult to implement the same as our system is not efficient,” said Dr Sushma Yadav, member Juvenile Justice Board, Delhi government.
Overwhelming

Members from institutions such as Delhi Commission for Women (DCW), Child Welfare Society, child rights NGO Plan India, Delhi Police and Child Welfare Committee (CWC) further said that the conditions of children in slums were overwhelming and needed immediate attention.

Nira Mailk, member CWC, said children in slums are exposed to sexual activities much earlier than required as whole families lived in single rooms in juggi-jhopris .

“If two adults are sexually active in front of minors who witness the affair everyday, it is natural that the children would experiment when they are alone.

“I have so many victims staying at our centre who have confessed that they have had sex with their brothers when they were six or ten years old,” she added.

Other CWC members said that “even if they bring in ten schemes for protection of children”, they would never be successful till action is taken at the initial stage.

Other members suggested that children be educated at an early stage about different kinds of abuses.

Awareness

“Preventive methods and awareness in slums and schools will help in making some difference,” suggested Priti Mahara, program co-ordinator with Plan India.

Nirmal Singh, ACP, Delhi Police, suggested that cases can be reduced by identifying issues at the initial level. “We need to create more awareness among children and parents about the role each has to play in protecting their integrity,” he said.

Other suggestions include training and orientation programmes in schools, involvement of NGOs for carrying out door-to-door awareness programmes, involvement of media for dissemination of information, complaint boxes at police stations and schools and others.

Members of DCPCR said they would present the suggestions to the Delhi government on behalf of all organisations to ensure that children lived in a protected environment.