Children are most vulnerable to all kinds of abuse and they needed to be alert, Dr. Kavitha Ravi, Additional Professor, Department of Pathology, Government Medical College, Ernakulam, told the children at the Government Higher Secondary School (GHSS), Vennala, on Tuesday. She was speaking to them on how they could recognise and act against abuse.
Physical, sexual and emotional abuses were most common though there were also medical abuses. Children could also be subjected to neglect, forced to do labour or be abused by extreme parental behaviour, causing injuries, said Dr. Kavitha.
She asked the children to be mindful of how adults touched them and to say a firm “no” whenever they felt uncomfortable, even though the person could be known to the family, be a friend or relative.
Dr. Kavitha was speaking at the event titled “Protection of Little Ones” organised by The Hindu in School in association with Ernakulam Round Table 214 under its CSR initiative “Voices of Tomorrow”.
The programme was inaugurated by the school headmaster K. Suresh.
Saurabh Gulechha of ERT 214; Nikhil Mani, project convenor, ERT; Sandhya Rani, senior teacher of Vennala GHSS, and Suresh Pillai, Assistant General Manager of The Hindu , were present.
