Globally, at least one billion children experience some form of violence, which translates to half of the world’s children passing through a tough phase at some point of time in their childhood, said Sanjay Kumar, Secretary of the Department of School Education and Literacy, in Ministry of Education.
Taking part in a consultation meeting with the Juvenile Justice Committee held at the Supreme Court on Sunday, October 12, Kumar said the violence can happen anywhere - at home, school or online.
“Children with disabilities are almost four times more likely to experience violence than non-disabled children,” he pointed out.
Elaborating on the sexual violence perpetrated on young girls, the Secretary said, “Worldwide, around 1.5 million adolescent girls aged 15 to 19 have experienced forced sexual intercourse or other forced sexual acts in their lifetime.”
More than a third of young people in 30 countries report being a victim of online bullying. “In 2020, more than 1,53,000 websites were reported as containing images of child sexual abuse, an increase of 16 per cent from the year before,” he said. Again, worldwide, close to 130 million (more than one in three) students in the 13-15 age group experience bullying, Kumar explained.
Violence impacts both boys and girls, but the latter remain more vulnerable and the ramifications are more on them. “Hence, there is an importance of placing a strong emphasis on protecting girls from all forms of violence and ensuring their safety and well-being,” he added.
Elaborating on the efforts taken by India to protect children, the Education Secretary said India is among the 128 countries worldwide that legally prohibit corporal punishment in schools and institutions. The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009, prohibits physical punishment and mental harassment for school children in the 6-14 age bracket.
The Juvenile Justice Act (Care and Protection of Children) Act 2015, The Child Marriage Prohibition Act (2006), and The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (2012 amended in 2019) are the legal frameworks in place.
“In addition to child protection, legislations focusing on prevention response and mitigation, national flagship schemes such as Mission Vatsalya and Mission Shakti which integrate the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP) keep the focus on the girl-child to prevent sex-selective abortions, early child marriage, and to promote early childhood care,” the Education Secretary opined.
These two Missions build a safety net for vulnerable girls, providing shelter, counselling, legal aid and protection from abuse, neglect or exploitation. “They build a protective environment for girls both at home and in public spaces,” he added.