The District Child Protection Unit, Tiruvallur and the wing for Crime Against Women and Children (CAWC), Tiruvallur have prepared awareness posters about the POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences) Act, 2012 and have been putting them up in places where people gather in large numbers.
This is an initiative of the Social Defence Department and police. The posters carry a warning message about the punishment for Pocso offences. “Apart from creating awareness among children and parents, we wanted to warn offenders too. Hence we have put up these posters at police stations, barber shops and tea shops among other places where people gather,” said D Senthil, District Children Protection Officer, Tiruvallur.
Mr. Senthil said that the posters have also been displayed at a few schools. “We started the work two days ago. We have also planned street plays to create awareness. The Panchayat presidents in the district have been asked to organise a door-to-door campaign at the village level,” he added.
CAWC holds meetings at industries
The CAWC wing, Tiruvallur has also started awareness camps at different factories in the district, as well as in the Irular settlement.
A total of 30 Pocso cases were registered this year in Tiruvallur district, and on an average 10 to 15 child marriages are stopped in the district every month. “We found that it was important to create awareness about Pocso and child marriage among parents. Initially, we have started creating awareness in companies that have women workers; we will hold similar awareness programmes among men too as they should also interact with children,” said M. Meenakshi, Additional Deputy Superintendent of Police, Special Wing for Crime Against Women and Children, Tiruvallur.
During the programme, police officers asked working parents to speak with their children before and after returning from work to understand their problems. “Parents should spend more time with their children. We also asked them to keep an eye on their social media usage and friends,” she added.
Apart from at companies, the police also conducted similar programmes at Irular hamlets in Tiruvallur, Tiruttani and Periyapalayam. “Once schools reopen, we will hold similar programmes in schools and educate the children about the Pocso Act and whom to approach in case they face any form of harassment,” added the officer.
(Childline, operates a helpline, 1098, for children in distress across the country)
