Children of every age face the risk of sexual assault. Only some victims speak out and seek a solution while most others, fearing the worst, keep it a secret and suffer the trauma.
Highlighting the issues and to help the children overcome fear to open up, a group of voluntary organisations have come together to take up an awareness campaign ‘Let me live’ in the city.
“It is high time we educated the little ones, helped build their strength in identifying child sexual abuse, and made them aware of their rights. A little bit of mental alertness is required among children, parents, and every responsible citizen. As onus lies on every individual, we should come forward and work towards creating safer environs for the children. We should be able to pass on the message about how strangers might lure the children with chocolates and how a child has to be on guard when someone tries to make advances,” explained members of Needs Voluntary Organisation (NVO) at a media briefing here on Sunday.
“Simple preventive measures can reduce the number of sexual assaults against young ones. They should know their rights and be mentally prepared to defend themselves. It is also equally imperative to understand the role of parents and the need to build strong support system with the children. As a parent, one has to educate the child about dangers of being sexually assaulted at a tender age,” founder of NVO V. Anvitha said.
Another issue that was emphasised was the communication gap between parents and children due to professional demands. “Though working parents have to rely on neighbours or caretakers, they should also be open to the fact that there is every possibility of danger that might turn up when they leave their children at the mercy of others,” said Student United Network (SUN) president B. Krishna Murthy.
Members of NVO, Lift (director Lalitha Reddy and team), and SUN (secretary Sujauddin Ansari and members — Uma Shankar and Ganesh) along with others would be taking out a rally to create awareness on child rights and preventive measures against child sexual assault during the month.
Those who want to approach volunteers and prefer to seek help confidentially about the issue can contact 9248780369.
