The rising number of criminal and narcotics cases involving juveniles has prompted the City police to address security threats posed to schoolchildren within and outside their campuses.
District Police Chief (Thiruvananthapuram City) in-charge K. Sanjaykumar Gurudin convened a meeting of around 300 school Principals on Saturday to identify security issues concerning schools and students.
The 90-minute discussion touched upon child abuse, cyberbullying, and drug and substance abuse among students and traffic concerns near schools. Mr. Gurudin told The Hindu that constant liaison between school authorities and enforcement agencies was needed to prevent youngsters from falling prey to illicit activities.
There are several ‘dark spots’ in schools that require immediate attention. “We have been receiving information regarding certain education zones being targeted by the drug mafia and antisocial elements,” he said.
He said 18 high school students had committed suicide in the city owing to various reasons.
Drug abuse too was on the rise among children. Teenagers faced cyberbullying on social media platforms. If such issues are neglected, children could end up feeling depressed.
Drug and alcohol abuse among students are not being identified at an early stage since there is a ‘grey area’ between the responsibilities of the school and the parents.
Surveillance cameras
The school heads highlighted security concerns on school campuses with many requesting surveillance cameras and enhanced police presence in the areas. Some also raised the threats posed to students by antisocial activities in unsecured school grounds during the late hours.
In view of the discussions, the police have decided to launch an intensive campaign in schools to raise awareness of such issues and enhance security measures.
