P. Meghaa, IV, B.Tech, Information Technology, Rajalakshmi Engineering College, Chennai
Introducing personal safety education early on in schools has two-fold advantages — youngsters will be aware of good touch and bad touch in their formative years, and will not shy away from talking about it, thereby spreading awareness among their peers. Schools could motivate students to put up plays on this topic. Teachers could also show students related videos to acclimatise them to the concept. This can be introduced for students of class I onwards, as the incidence of child sexual abuse has steadily been on the rise, and it is not something that only teenagers are affected by — kids as young as three or four, and sometimes, even younger, fall victim to it.
Danish Yousuf, I, M.A, Life Long Learning and Extension, Faculty of Social Sciences, University Of Delhi
Child sexual abuse is an area around which a wall of silence prevails. This is because of fear of indignity, social stigma, and lack of communication between parents and children. Both boys and girls are equally at risk. It is thus important to spread awareness by involving parents, teachers and children. Opening the doors of communication with children is paramount. Personal safety has to be part of the entire curriculum and the education system. Introduction of related guidelines and what needs to be done if a child feels someone is breaking the guideline is necessary.
Aparna Deb, II, M.A.(MC) Journalism, Symbiosis Institute of Media and Communication, Pune
Personal safety education should have been introduced to me in middle school. Being in an all girls’ school, I wasn’t told how to respond to such encounters with the opposite sex. Both boys and girls should be educated on what accounts for sexual abuse and how one can tackle or talk openly to one's parents and teachers about such situations. In higher education institutions, today, most of the sexual abuse cases are not reported, which in many cases may lead to situations like clinical depression. Individuals will be able to handle these situations better only when there is collective consciousness and the ease to speak about such issues in social spaces.
Vivian Rajasekharan Nair, MSc. Local Economic Development, The London School of Economics and Political Science
A proper mindset and a new approach should be developed to teach children that safety and security should not be taken for granted. As one learns about his/her body through biology in school, it is ideal that they learn about the safety aspect as well. This information should be inculcated into the minds of children at school. Schools should aim to become enablers and institutions capable of empowering children through training modules, which should be a part of the curriculum, rather than dumping a load of restrictions in the name of preventing abuses.
