'Sensitising parents, kids equally important'

For the Child Protection Policy to work, sensitising government officials is not enough. Parents and children need to be equally well-informed. The non-profit International Services Association-India (INSA-India) educates parents and children on communicating abuse as part of their child protection programmes in schools and child care homes in Karnataka and other states.

First, the younger children are taught about sexual organs in the body through a colouring book about a Koala and Bunny. Then, using dolls and teddy bears, they are educated about safe and unsafe touch. “Kids don’t have the language to talk about sexual abuse because those are considered bad words. We make children practise how to approach an adult they trust and tell them if someone has touched them in a way that makes them uncomfortable,” said Edwina Pereira, former programme director (training) at INSA-India. Edwina now runs similar programmes through her organisation, Child First Foundation.

Children are even given practise on how to shout and say ‘No’ if they are in an uncomfortable situation. Edwina also works with parents, telling them how to identify warning signs and how to talk about abuse to their children. “Parents are often directive, telling children, ‘I know everything and you listen to me.’ We teach parents positive disciplining skills and tell them to listen without judging.” Parents often don’t believe the child when he or she tells them that someone is sexually abusing them, especially if it is someone in the family, she said.

“For parents, we tell them to bring up the topic when giving the child a bath. They can tell the child in very normal tones that no one should touch their private parts and to inform the parent, if anyone does.” Edwina added that if a child says that he or she ‘does not like’ a particular uncle or aunt, it should be taken seriously and the parents should find out why.