Kerala Model,
http://www.deccanchronicle.com/nation/current-affairs/100216/kerala-remains-unsafe-for-children.html
It’s among five states with the most number of cases.
Alappuzha: The sexual abuses of children continue to rise in the state
with Malappuram district topping the list and Kerala itself remaining among the five states with the most number of cases registered under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act in 2014.
As per the data published on the official website of Kerala police, at least 1,427cases were registered in the state till November last year recording a jump from 1,380 in 2014.
The POCSO cases in 2013 were 1002. The conviction rate under the Act is no more than 2.4 per cent. Ms J. Sandhya, member, Kerala State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (KSCPCR), says the data points to the rising atrocities against children in spite of the awareness campaigns.
Many cases go unreported as parents are not willing to register a case, she says. As per the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), the offenders in only 535 cases were convicted out of 6,816 FIRs filed under the Act.
It was in 2012 the POCSO Act was introduced that had raised the age of consent for girls from 16 to 18 stipulating that a child’s testimony and circumstantial evidence would be taken as clinching proof.
Kerala police had filed 596 FIRs and chargesheets in 419 cases from November 2012 to June 2013, but there were no convictions. Mr K.K. Jospeh, member, Child Welfare Committee here, says that sexual assault cases in the district were increasing. “We have launched a several campaigns and set up panchayat-level committees to make people aware of the law,” he said.
http://english.manoramaonline.com/n...children-missing-kerala-kasaragod-police.html
http://www.thehindu.com/todays-pape...s-more-unsafe-in-thrissur/article19261752.ece
Boys more ‘unsafe’ in Thrissur
Survey in the city finds 30% of boys have undergone sexually abusive experiences
Of late, there have been many discussions about how unsafe girls and women in Kerala are as they could be subjected to sexual abuse at every turn of their life. It may come as a surprise to many that boys in the schools are more susceptible to sexual abuse, according to a study conducted by a set of doctors.
A research article, titled ‘Prevalence of child abuse in school environment in Kerala,’ published in ‘Child Abuse and Neglect,’ an international journal, states that 30% of the boys, as against 6% of girls, have undergone sexually abusive experiences. Boys have been found to be more susceptible to emotional (90%) and physical (83%) abuse too.
The study was carried out by Manoj Therayil Kumar from the Institute of Mind and Brain, Thrissur, Sebind Kumar of Government Medical College, Thrissur, and Surendra P. Singh and Nilamadhab Kar of the Black Country Partnership NHS Trust, University of Wolverhampton, United Kingdom.
The abuse history was collected from 6,682 adolescent students from schools in Thrissur city. The researchers used the child abuse screening tool developed by the International Society for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect (ISPCAN).
“The clear distinction in the rate of sexual abuse on boys and girls has come us a surprise for us. The emotional abuse rate of boys and girls is almost the same,” said Dr. Manoj Kumar.
Bullying too
The survey takes a look at even soft abuse, such as bullying, which society often neglects. “Abuse will affect children’s personality and self esteem. Quite often, a person subjected to abuse over a period of time turns out to be an abuser,” Dr. Manoj Kumar said.
The research concluded that boys were at a greater risk of sexual abuse in Kerala, as they fall easy prey, while girls are more protected.
Twenty-one per cent of the participants in the survey admitted to have undergone some sort of sexual abuse, including being shown sexual pictures, being touched sexually, made to undress, made to touch others sexually, involved in making sexual pictures or videos, or being kissed against their wishes.
“This is the first scientific study carried out in Kerala in this field and the largest in India,” said V.G. Pradeep Kumar, State president of the Indian Medical Association.
As for physical abuse, alcohol seems to be the main villain as 16% of the children who participated in the survey reported that their family members used alcohol as an excuse for abuse.
The research suggests that teachers and parents should be trained to pinpoint emotional problems of students. It also points out the importance of counsellors in schools.
“Kerala should give more emphasis on child mental health,” Dr. Manoj Kumar said.