Child protection

Child protection

On the 26^th of November’16, a very important and much needed 

session on Child Protection was organized in Ahlcon International 

School for parents of the children studying in the Pre-primary 

classes. The session was also witnessed by the Principal 

Mr. Ashok K Pandey, AHM Ms. Sunita Rajiv and the teachers of 

the Pre-primary wing.

The session was held in two parts with two different speakers. The 

first speaker for the day was Ms. Bhawani Sharma, Secretary East

 DLSA. She spoke in detail about the various legal aspects related 

to child sexual abuse. She informed the parents about the POCSO 

Act and its sections that are meant for child protection against 

sexual offences. She also told them about the procedures to follow

 if a case of any sexual violation against a child comes to notice.

The second speaker for the session was Ms. Diana Cherian. What 

she wanted to convey through the session was the need for people

 to break the silence on the sensitive subject of child sexual abuse. 

In a country like India, where the society is quite conservative and 

reserved, people need a wake up jolt rather than a wakeup call 

when touching such subjects and Ms. Cherian’s aim was to try and 

be that spark of ignition for the audience present there. She went in 

detail about why children are not able to or don’t communicate 

about being abused. What role we as a community play, being 

ignorant and avoiding the subject and how to turn things around for

 safe guarding the child and being their safety net and strength as a 

parent by breaking away stepping up from societal pressure and 

embarrassment.

She explained about what all is considered as child sexual abuse 

which contains both physical contact and non-physical contact. She

 also explained the psychological effects and scars that is left after 

and how that affects the future of that child. Overall it was an 

emotionally engaging session which the parents appreciated. A lot 

of them left with a new found strength to be a stronger parent, 

some of them had their imaginary blind folds untied and strewn 

away for good.

The session ended with a vote of thanks by AHM Ms. Sunita Rajiv

 and a hopeful note of shattering the silence on child sexual abuse 

and come together as parents and a community to protect and 

secure the future, the children.