Posted by - Child abuse is a grave issue in our society. Instances of child abuse are either under-reported or are not adequately covered under child protection laws. A dearth of child-serving professionals adds to this misery. In addition to having an adequate number of experts, it is essential that they are skilled in reporting child abuse and neglect. The top-most priority for any State or organisation should be to put efforts to address violence against children. As per the 2011 Census, Women and children together constitute a total of 67.7% of the country’s population.
- According to the latest report by The Ministry of Women and Child Development a total of 7595 cases were registered under the POCSO Act. Uttar Pradesh (2973) topped the tally, followed by Bihar (511), Delhi (437), Haryana (411), Rajasthan (410) and Madhya Pradesh (374). Empowerment and protection of children, and ensuring their wholesome development are crucial for the sustainable and equitable development of our country. These figures compel everyone to ponder over our existing laws and the duties of our enforcement agencies.
- The enactment of ‘The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012’ was formulated to reduce child abuse in India, but the improper implementation, lack of special courts combined with a lack of sensitization among Special Public Prosecutors and faulty investigation procedures, casts a shadow on the whole Justice System.
- In 2019, amendments to the POCSO Act extended the range of offences, seeking the death penalty in cases of aggravated penetrative sexual assault, and a gender-neutral approach while delivering justice. Despite these amendments, the rate of child abuse in India unfortunately persists. With new forms of child abuse and harassment emerging, it is becoming a challenge to tackle such cases and devise new strategies to combat them.
- Project Mumbai is a not-for-profit model of public-private-people partnership that focuses on Healthcare, Environment, Governance, Education, Nutrition, Volunteerism and implementable solutions. While Project Mumbai goes by the tagline ‘Mumbai Ke Liye Kuchh Bhi Karega’, it has during the pandemic worked across over 20 districts of Maharashtra alone. Apart from that, its adolescent emotional wellbeing helpline now caters to people in need from across 26 states.
- Project Mumbai works across spheres–with MCGM we are building a road mapping initiative, a large mental health initiative for school children, beautifying 150 roads of the city through volunteer-driven painting, and providing educational support to children who cannot afford schools. Project Mumbai is working on making Mumbai a city for all, which includes a city for the differently abled, a city for the elderly and a city safer for children.
Objectives
The core objective of the workshop is to develop skills of the participants in the areas of investigation, handling of children, the role of Prosecutors, Police, social workers, teachers as well as scholars and the applicability of POCSO laws through interactive practical sessions, visual aids and other technologies. The proposed training interaction is to be geared to achieve the following objectives:
- To understand various forms of child abuse and its after-effects
- To assess the effectiveness of training aimed at improving reporting of child abuse and neglect by various professionals
- To develop an understanding and awareness of our surroundings in terms of child psychology
- To investigate possible components of effective training interventions.
- To understand the effectiveness of POCSO and other related laws.
Themes
- Child Sexual Abuse: Law and Policy
- Child Forensic interviewing
- Status of Special Courts and Judicial interventions
- Emotional Intelligence
- Online Child abuse, dating and Grooming apps
- Challenges during Investigation of Child Abuse cases
- Support services and counselling
Eligibility
Members of various Departments and Schools, Social workers, Prosecutors, Law officers, Medical officers, Police officials, research executives, and Research scholars working in this area could be involved in this workshop.
Registration Procedure
- Prospective participants may fill out the registration form available at the end of the post and send a request electronically to: academicevents@mnlumumbai.edu.in
- The participants shall submit the registration fee along with the prescribed Google form of registration only after getting confirmation.
- Payment Link
Registration Fees
- Asian/other foreign delegates – USD 50
- Indian delegates – INR 1000
Further Information
- Workshop Mode is Offline for all Participants.
- Lunch and tea will be provided to all participants.
- No accommodation shall be provided.
- There is no “On the Spot Registration”
- No TA/DA will be paid.
Registration Deadline
September 15, 2022
For further clarity one may reach out to academicevents@mnlumumbai.edu.in
Registration form
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