What do you do when you spot a child begging on the road or working at a shop?
Many people are often in a dilemma when they are in such a situation. Should they directly approach the child, speak to the owner of the shop which has employed him/her or call a helpline. To address these issues, two Bengaluru-based child rights activists have written a book, Working with Children at Risk .
The book, published by BOSCO, Bengaluru, has been written by Fr. George P.S., who heads the finance and administration of Don Bosco, Bengaluru province (which comprises Karnataka and Kerala States), and has worked in the area of child rights for nearly two decades, and Ann Mary George, who has worked as a counsellor for about a decade. The book talks about the factors and problems that children in need of care and protection face and also lists legislation pertaining to children and the types of counselling and mentoring techniques that could be used to understand the child’s history. Ms. George said the manual would be useful to all those who want to design interventions that would help children get help. “There are people who want to work with children. The book will help them get insights and avoid the hiccups and hurdles we faced. This book deals with practical aspects and field realities,” she said.
Case studies
Fr. George said the book also has case studies and tips that have been documented from over decades of working in the field. He said he has also written to colleges offering the Masters in Social Work course who can use this book to hone their skills as it throws light on the steps that can be followed to rescue and rehabilitate children.
