SCHOOL SAFETY ,SECURITY
&
CHILD RIGHTS
Sujata Mishra
Asst Commissioner
KVS RO RANCHI
School Safety” has been defined as creating safe environment for children, starting from their homes to their schools and back.
This includes
As per NEP, 2020 - A good education institution is one in which every student feels welcomed and cared for, where a safe and stimulating learning environment exists, where a wide range of learning experiences are offered, and where good physical infrastructure and appropriate resources conducive to learning are available to all students. Attaining these qualities must be the goal of every educational institution.
Para 5.9 of Policy- Adequate and safe infrastructure, including working toilets, clean drinking water, clean and attractive spaces, electricity, computing devices, internet, libraries, and sports and recreational resources will be provided to all schools to ensure that teachers and students, including children of all genders and children with disabilities, receive a safe, inclusive, and effective learning environment and are comfortable and inspired to teach and learn in their schools
Purpose
When a child is in school, the school has the actual charge or control over the child, and, if the school willfully neglects the child, in a manner likely to cause the child unnecessary mental or physical suffering, it may be treated as a violation of Juvenile Justice Act, 2015.
Hence, it is the school i.e., School Management/Principal/Head of school that has the responsibility of ensuring the safety of children in schools
Child Rights
SDG 3: ‘Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages.
SDG 4: ‘Ensure inclusive and quality education for all and promote lifelong learning,
highlighting the importance of knowledge and skills on human rights and the promotion of a culture of peace and non-violence (Target 4.7) as well as ‘the provision of child, gender and disability-sensitive facilities and safe, non-violent, inclusive and effective learning environments for all’ (Target 4.8)
SDG 5: ‘Promote gender equality and empower all women and girls’ (Target 5.2), ‘eliminate all forms of violence against all women and girls in the public and private spheres, including trafficking and sexual and other types of exploitation’ and
SDGs related to child rights
Constitutional Provisions and Rights
Central Legislations & Policies
Categories of negligence by Schools:
Legal Provisions in case the offence has been established:
Responsibilities of School/School Management
Section 21 (a) states that - if any person, who fails to report the commission of an offence shall be punished with imprisonment of either description which may extend to six months or with fine or with both.
Section 21 (b) states that - Any person, being in-charge of an institution who fails to report the commission of an
offence shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to one year and with fine.
Punishment of individual/institution/school management for non-compliance of section 19 of POCSO Act
Psycho-social safety:
Health and Physical Safety
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Classroom
The guideline issued by the Ministry of HRD, talks about class room safety.
or attached to the wall of the classroom. In case of loosely placed black board in the classroom, there is a possibility of accidents, both minor and major, to the children while moving around in the class room
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Laboratory
II. The chemicals and instruments must be kept safely beyond the easy access of children and should be used only under supervision.
III. A first aid box must be made available in the lab.
IV. There should be an exhaust facility for the gases.
V. The school team must be trained to meet any emergency in the laboratory
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Toilets
Many documents including RTE Act, 2009 and MHRD circular to the States talk specifically about toilet standards to be maintained in schools.
I. Toilets must be located within the school premises
II. There must be separate toilets for girls and boys
III. Separate toilets for children, staff, support staff
IV. There must be separate toilets for visitors
V. Every school needs to maintain number of toilets as per prescribed norms(according to affiliation by laws of respective board)
VI. Toilets must be kept open for the use by children
VII. Separate toilets, as per the norms, must be available/ accessible for children with disabilities.
VIII. All the toilets preferably need to have running water facility.
IX. Availability of soaps etc. for washing hands-should be ensured by the school.
X. All the toilets must have doors for ensuring safety and privacy of children
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Drinking Water
II. Safety/quality of water must be checked on regular basis by the concerned authority.
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Electrical System and Safety
Several guidelines point out the importance of electric safety measures that need to be ensured in schools.
I. All the electrical systems in school must be checked periodically.
II. Ensured limited access to the area of electrical installation only to those who are required.
III. The electric wiring and points are to be kept in order. In case of any uncovered live wires find, the wiring must be changed and electricity disconnected till such defects are set right.
IV. The electrical distribution boxes should be locked and the keys should be kept only under the custody of electrician or the person in charge.
V. Immediate necessary measures should be taken to repair the loose wiring/connections.
VI. In case of any such need electric gadgets should be handled by responsible employee of the School.
VII. In few cases trees are placed just below the electric line whenever the branches grow it touches to the LT line and sparks dangerously. It should be checked regularly and branches should be dressed off in such a way that it will not touch to the electric wire any time.
VIII. Students should be warned not to touch electric poles.
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Playground
RTE Act recognizes play ground as a mandatory part of school infrastructure, in view of the physical well-being of the students.
I. The school should have a playground.
II. The playground should be maintained properly.
III. The children must get the games/ sports materials to play.
IV. The School should have a boundary wall.
Minimum Standards for Safety related to Sports
NCPCR guidelines developed with SAI and NIMHANS has suggested minimum standards for the safety of children in schools
w.r.t to sports facilities:
should be made. Tie up with local reputed hospitals / empanelled hospitals for catering to the medical emergencies of trainees.
II. Adequate and sufficient food/refreshment facilities for children while they participate in sports, as per norms fixed by SAI.
III. Provision of counselling services for the children who take part in these activities, periodically.
IV. The PT teacher and staff of school, should take the responsibility to monitor the system set up to address emergency
pertaining to sports persons.
Fire Safety Management
Fire Safety is another important safety aspect covered under many guidelines.
I. Every school must have a fire safety certificate, which must be validated periodically by concerned authority
II. School must have fire fighting systems in place to meet any emergency, including the alarm system or smoke
detection system.
III. With the help of fire fighting agencies mock drill and training must be carried out in each school on periodical basis.
IV. Trained management team should be available in the school for initial fire hazard management.
V. The School must put on display the Fire Safety and Evacuation Plan to be followed in case of emergency.
Earthquake Management
National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has come out with specifications for schools prone to various natural
calamities. If schools are situated in the earthquake risk zone, following steps must be taken
I. Necessary steps must be taken during construction of the building for earthquake safety
II. If required, school must modify structure in consultation with local authorities.
III. A trained disaster management group should be available in school for initial response.
IV. School must maintain a contact with the local disaster management authorities for training and retraining
V. The School must put on display the Earth Quake Management & Evacuation Plan to be followed in case of emergency.
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Boundary Wall and Gates
RTE Act (2009) mandates that every school should have boundary wall/fencing. Kendriya Vidyalaya as well MHRD
guidelines provide details on this.
I. Boundary wall should be of sufficient height so that no one can scale it down and should be got fixed with concertina wire.
II. Boundary wall should have 3-4 gates preferably on the walls of different sides so as to ensure free, convenient and prompt
exit in emergency.
III. However, entry of outsides should be allowed only through single gate properly manned by the guards. That single gate
should have telephone connection (so as to enable the guard to inform the police directly in exigency).
IV. Special surveillance and safety measures should be taken before actual entry and exit time of the school.
V. At exit time of staff and students as many as gates available be used for dispersal.
VI. The main gate should remain locked after
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School Premises and Surroundings
KVS and NVS guidelines talk extensively about ensuring safety of the children in school surroundings and while a festival
or celebration is being carried out in schools,
I. The School should maintain a distance from railway tracks to provide a safe environment. �
If school is located near any rail track, impact of such locations on the school structure should be examined by the local
authorities for the safety of the students before issuance of structural safety certificate.
II. The School should maintain a distance from industry or chemical factory to provide a safe environment.
III. If school located near an industry or a chemical factory producing fatal chemical products, each member including teacher
student and other staff must be made aware about different chemical product and precaution to be taken in case eventualities
from the leakage of chemicals in this area.
IV. First aid and other medical systems in place to safeguard school students
V. Each member of school including students must be made aware on periodical basis about the procedures to be adopted in
case of any emergency.
VI. No liquor/opium/bhang shop should be allowed to operate in proximity of school.
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Barrier Free Access for Children with Disabilities
MHRD circular to the states / SSA framework for implementation of RTE Act specifically highlights the importance of making the school environment safe for children with disabilities and special needs.
1. Ramps must be constructed to provide access to the following places.
⮚ Entry to the school ⮚ Classrooms ⮚ Toilets ⮚ Playground ⮚ Library
⮚ Canteen ⮚ Auditorium/hall ⮚ Floor to floor
2. Railings need to be provided on the both sides of ramp.
3. The school needs to make provision for children (children with visual impairment and low vision) to move around in the school safely and independently.
4. The school should make provision to provide a school map in Braille indicating all the facilities including classrooms, common rooms, library , toilets etc that may be suitably placed at the main gate of the school or at any other suitable place. In addition, all the classrooms should have the signage in Braille for children with visual impairment.
5. An emergency and evacuation plan of the school should also be in Braille.
6. Also it is important to;
I. List of all children with disabilities in school must be prepared
II. Training must be provided to teachers and other staffs to understand their limitations and procedures to help them in the event of any emergency.
III. There should be a designated official in the school who is entrusted with the exclusive responsibility of their needs in any emergency.
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Measures to Prevent Children from Dangers of Water and Drowning
Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti (NVS) and Kendriya Vidyalay Sanghatan (KVS) in their guidelines have explained steps to be
taken to avoid danger of children from drowning.
movements of the students should be restricted towards it.
II. Children should not be allowed to go towards the nearby river, canals, ponds and railway tracks and to take bath using
water from the overhead tanks by climbing on the terrace.
III.Fencing should be provided to the steps of overhead tank to avoid children climbing over head tank.
IV. Movements of children are to be strictly watched through formation of groups by school authorities.
V. Children should not be permitted to go outside the School premises during the school hours.
VI. The presence of the students in the School campus at all times should be strictly enforced.
VI. The root cause for such behaviour of the child must be ascertained,
parents should be informed accordingly and corrective steps should be taken. .
VII. No procession should be allowed to move from school out of the campus in the eve of any religious celebrations.
IX. No swimming pool will be constructed without prior permission of competent authority.
X. If swimming pool is constructed in school premises, it must be constructed as per the prescribed norms of competent
authority and should also be maintained as prescribed.
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Safety from Constructional Hazards
NVS, KVS and CBSE guidelines are highlighting the precautions to be taken when any construction work is taking place in school premises.
II. The constructions must be planned during the lean time of students' presence in the school.
III. Barricades and signboards must be installed in the construction area prohibiting the movement of students.
IV. Water storage sources for such constructions must be covered to prevent small children from any possible mishap.
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Clearances and Certificates
Affiliation by-laws brought out by CBSE and ICSE lists some of the certificates and clearance documents for schools,
with respect to infrastructure.
issuance of a ‘no objection certificate’ to the School as a mandatory requirement for granting permission for
establishing or continuation of a School.
II. Periodical inspection must be carried on quarterly basis (especially during raining seasons) to check cracks in the
school structures and immediate action should be taken to repair them.
Health and Hygiene
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I.Screening of general health, assessment of Anaemia/Nutritional status, visual acuity, hearing problems, dental check-up, common skin conditions, Heart defects, physical disabilities, learning disorders, behaviour problems, etc. should be periodically done in schools, once in three months.
II. Basic medicine kit/ first aid box should be available in the school to take care of common ailmets prevalent among young school going children.
III. Children, requiring specialized attention, should be referred immediately to the concerned specialists.
IV. Sick children once identified, should be immediately referred to the concerned doctor.
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V. The sick child has to be attended to by a certified medical doctor. In case the doctor feels that admission at the district hospital is necessary, this should be ensured. Parents of the child must be intimated about the sickness of their child.
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Immunization
As per the ‘Indian Public Health Standards (IPHS) Guidelines,
I. The Schools should have Immunization Programme to protect children from infectious diseases through vaccination to protect children against diseases with the named vaccines
II. Schools should ensure immunization as per national schedule.
III. Fixed day activities coupled with education about the issue should be conducted
Micronutrient (Vitamin A and IFA) Management:
National Programme of Nutritional Support to Primary Education, 2006 [Mid-Day Meal Scheme] talks about Vitamin A and
IFA supplements to school children. It also says it should also be complemented with appropriate interventions relating to
micronutrient supplementation and de-worming through administration of
I. Six monthly dose for de-worming and Vitamin –A supplementation,
II. Weekly iron and Folic Acid supplement Zinc and other appropriate supplementation depending on common deficiencies
found in the local area: it may be noted that only iodized/ double fortified (iron and iodine) salt should be used for cooking.
State Governments are expected to issue detailed guidelines in this regard.
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Hygiene and Sanitation
Swachh Bharat and Swachh Vidyalaya guideline recommends the following steps for ensuring hygiene and sanitation for children in schools
Toilets
Separate toilets for boys and girls, with one unit generally having one toilet (WC) plus 3 urinals should be provisioned in every school. The ratio to be maintained is preferably one unit for every 40 students.
Essential components for girls and boys (separate) toilets
I. Squatting area, with adequate availability of water for washing within toilet block.
II. Orientation and opening for natural light and ventilation.
III. Door with child-friendly latch.
IV. Floor with adequate slope and maintainable durable finish.
V. Light weight roof cover.
VI. At least one toilet for Children with Special Needs (CWSN) with necessary provisions.
VII. At least one incinerator in girl’s toilet block and niche to keep sanitary napkins.
VIII. Hooks for hanging clothes.
IX. Graphics and visuals depicting key hygiene messages.
X. Use of water conserving techniques.
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Essential components for girl’s and boy’s urinals
I. Partition between urinals.
II. Opening for natural light and ventilation.
III. Screen door in at least one urinal upto1500mm height.
IV. Floor made of ceramic tiles for easy maintenance with adequate slope and easy to maintain durable finish.
V. Light weight roof cover.
Essential components for girl’s and boy’s urinals
II. Opening for natural light and ventilation.
III. Screen door in at least one urinal upto1500mm height.
IV. Floor made of ceramic tiles for easy maintenance with adequate slope and easy to maintain durable finish.
V. Light weight roof cover.
Menstrual Hygiene Management
Similarly, Menstrual hygiene management facilities including soap, adequate and private space for changing, adequate water for cloth washing and disposal facilities for menstrual waste, including an incinerator or dustbins should be ensured by ever
Hand Washing
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Drinking Water
The MDM guideline also highlights the importance of provision of safe drinking water to children in schools.
II. The school authorities should ensure that drinking water is potable and if the water is being drawn from an underground source, necessary filtration/purification to be organized with support from district level for portability of water.
III. Drinking water should be at a safe distance of at least 10 meters from the bleach/soak pits attached to school toilets or nearby toilets or from the community sewage water drain.
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Regular/daily inspection of water and sanitation facilities by an appropriate group of persons as appointed by the SMC.
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Promoting Wholesome and Nutritious Food and Restricting/ Limiting the Availability of Foods High in Fat, Sugar and Salt (HFSS Foods/Junk Food) among School Children
Guidelines issued by FSSAI on HFSS need to be strictly followed by all the schools to restrict ban ‘Junk Food ‘within School and close proximity of the school as per the guidelines.
i. Chips, fried foods
ii. Sugar sweetened carbonated beverages
iii. Sugar sweetened non-carbonated beverages
iv. Ready-to-eat noodles, pizzas, burgers
v. Potato fries
PSYCHO SOCIAL ASPECTS
Children that are victims of violence, as well as those who witness violence, show continuing symptoms of Posttraumatic
Stress Disorder (PTSD). These symptoms include depression, dissociative reactions, and feelings of helplessness,
emotional deregulation, aggression, intrusive thoughts, and flashbacks.
A chronic pattern of psycho-social maltreatment destroys a child’s sense of self and personal safety.
Corporal punishment amounts to abuse and militates against the freedom and dignity of a child. It also interferes with a
child’s right to education because fear of corporal punishment makes children more likely to avoid school or to drop out
altogether. Hence, corporal punishment is violative of the right to life with dignity.
Same is the case of violence among peers
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Corporal Punishment
As per the provisions of RTE Act 2009, the corporal punishment may be identified as physical punishment, mental harassment or discrimination. Corporal punishment will also include all forms of sexual offences as per the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act.
That means if an act of sexual abuse as defined in POCSO Act, 2012 and POCSO (Amendment) Act, 2019 is inflicted on a child as a means of corporal punishment, the provisions of violation of POCSO Act, 2012 and POCSO (Amendment) Act, 2019 shall also be applicable against the offender.
“Physical punishment” is any action that may causes pain, injury and discomfort to a child including causing physical harm to a child with hand or cane/ stick, making children assume anuncomfortable position e.g. standing on bench or holding ears through legs, detention in the classroom, library or any closed space in the school etc.
“Mental harassment” is any non-physical treatment that is detrimental to the psychological wellbeing of a child e.g. sarcasm that hurts or lower the child’s dignity, calling names and scolding using humiliating adjectives, intimidation, using derogatory remarks on the child, ridiculing the child on background or status or parental occupation, belittling a child in classroom due to his/her inability to meet the teacher’s expectations of academic achievement etc.
Discrimination” is understood as prejudiced views and behaviour towards any child because of her/his caste/gender,
occupation or region and non-payment of fees or for being a student admitted under the 25% reservation to disadvantaged
groups or weaker sections of society under the RTE, 2009. It can be latent; manifest; open or subtle.
It includes but is not restricted to the following:
social group or gender or ability/disability;
II. Assigning different duties and seating in schools based on caste, community or gender prejudices
(for example, cleaning of toilets assigned by caste; task of making tea assigned by gender);
admission through 25% reserved seats under the RTE; or non-payment of any prescribed fees; �
III. Commenting on academic ability based on caste or community prejudices;
IV. Denying mid-day meal or library books or uniforms or sports facilities to a child or group of children based on caste,
community, religion or gender;
V. Deliberate/wanton neglect.
Further section 8 and 9 of the RTE Act casts a duty on all concerned to ensure that any child belonging to weaker section or
to disadvantaged group is not discriminated. Against and prevented from pursuing and completing elementary education on
any ground.
Guidelines for Eliminating Corporal Punishment in Schools- NCPCR
http://www.ncpcr.gov.in/view_file.php?fid=108
Ministry of HRD, Department of School Education and Literacy have issued detailed guidelines for implementation of section 8 and 9 of the RTE Act which inter alia provide that-
The school shall prohibit all persons and authorities of the school from harassing or victimizing any child belong to weaker section and disadvantaged group
b) By labeling such students as reserved category in the class.
c) By passing derogatory remarks indicating social, economic or other background as reason of under performance in the class;
d) By allotting differential time to such students to meet teacher as compared to other students;
e) By allotting differential time to such students to meet teacher as compared to other students.
f) By treating them separately in utilizing the sports and other facilities.
Bullying, Intimidation and Isolation3
Bullying can be directly from the bully to the victim (e.g., through physical intimidation or attacks, verbal abuse, unwanted attention and advances, damaging property), or it can be indirect (e.g., through spreading malicious rumours).
It can also include cyber-bullying (e.g., sending unpleasant SMS messages, photographs or emails, to the victim or to others).
Bullying has severe detrimental effects on those who are bullied. The effects can be immediate. They can also be long-term and can cause lifelong damage.
In every bullying situation, there are typically three key parties: the victim, the bully or bullies, and those who stand by (by-standers), who are aware of the bullying.
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I. The message that “Bullying is strictly prohibited inside the school premises and no such act will go unnoticed or unpunished” may be clearly stated in the school prospectus and other guidelines circulated by the school.
II. Structures and procedures must be established to provide accessible, confidential, secure and effective means of reporting incidents of bullying, for victims and for bystanders who are aware of it taking place and to identify and manage incidents of bullying, including appropriate counselling and sanctions/ punishments on those engaged in bullying.
III. An Anti- Bullying Committee may be constituted in school, comprising of Vice- Principal, a Senior teacher, School Doctor, Counsellor, PTA representative, School Management representative, Legal representative, Peer Educators etc whose roles and responsibilities would include:
a. development and review of School Bullying Prevention Plan,
b. development and implementing bullying prevention programmes,
c. developing training programmes for staff, students, and parents,
d. creating awareness through various programmes
e. being vigilant and observing signs of bullying and responding quickly and sensitively
f. names and contact numbers of members of the committee should be clearly displayed everywhere in the school premises, etc.
IV. Arrangements for a Counsellor for Primary, and Middle, and for Secondary and Senior Secondary school may be made where possible, interaction. They should be empathetic and approachable so that students can confide in them.
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Abuse
The World Health Organization(WHO) defines child abuse and child maltreatment as
"all forms of physical and/or emotional ill-treatment, sexual abuse, neglect or negligent treatment or commercial
or other exploitation, resulting in actual or potential harm to the child's health, survival, development or dignity
in the context of a relationship of responsibility, trust or power
Child abuse includes among other things:
I. Physical abuse/ Violence
II. Emotional abuse
III. Neglect/ Ill-treatment,
IV. Sexual abuse
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Abuse in the context of schools
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Recognizing child abuse
Indicators of possible maltreatment can be picked up
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Physical Abuse/Violence
Physical abuse of children includes any non accidental physical injury caused by the child’s caretaker. It may include injuries sustained from burning, beating, kicking, punching, and so on. Physical abuse may result from extreme disciplinary actions or from punishment that is inappropriate to the child’s age or condition or from peer violence or bullying.
Some children are more susceptible to being maltreated than others and require a great deal of care (e.g., disabled or developmentally delayed children), and others may be difficult to raise (e.g., hyperactive children, children with behavioral problems).
Neglect
Neglect often leaves no visible scars; it is more likely to go undetected.
Neglect is the most common type of maltreatment that children experience and has consequences that are just as serious as physical abuse.
The school should ensure that no instance of neglect or mal-treatment of children happen in the school.
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Sexual Abuse
Sexual abuse is defined as inappropriate sexual behavior with a child.
In some cases, there will be clear physical contact between the offender and the child such as fondling a child’s genitals, making the child fondle the adult’s genitals, intercourse, incest, rape, sodomy, exhibitionism, sexual exploitation, or exposure to pornography. Sexual abuse also may be committed by a person under the age of 18 when that person is either significantly older than the victim or when the perpetrator is in a position of power or control over the child.
Child Sexual Abuse can also occur without any contact between the offender and the child such as showing pornographic videos or pictures to the child, using the child in pornographic material, verbal abuse, making lewd gestures to the child, playing sexualized games, following the child or chatting with sexual intent with the child over the Internet etc.
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Salient features of POCSO Act, 20126
With a view to ensure the healthy physical, emotional and social development of the child and to protect children from offences of sexual assaults and sexual harassment and for matters connected therewith, Government of India has notified the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 (32 of 2012) along with Rules framed there under which have come into force w.e.f. 14th November, 2012.
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I. Sections 5, 6, 9 and 10 of the POCSO Act, 2012 including the provisions of the POCSO (Amendment) Act, 2019 define various sexual offences against children and the penalties prescribed for such offences.
II. Sexual offences committed by persons who are in the management or staff of educational institutions and persons in position of trust and authority over children are liable for higher penalties as per provisions of this Act. Further Sections 19(1) and 21(2) of the Act cast a duty on the teachers and management of the educational system to report instances of child sexual abuse along with the penalties for failure in reporting such offences.
III. The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 has defined sexual offences against children.
IV. These offences include penetrative sexual assault and sexual assault (Section 7 of the POCSO Act, 2012 and Section 3 as per the Amendment Act, 2019), aggravated penetrative sexual assault and aggravated sexual assault (Section 5 as per the Amendment Act, 2019 and 9 of the POCSO Act, 2012), sexual harassment (Section 11 of the POCSO Act, 2012) and pornography (defined in Section 2 (1) (da) of the POCSO Amendment Act, 2019 and Section 13 of the POCSO Act, 2012).
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V. The aforesaid may include:
b. forcible physical touch, looking or staring at body;
c. objectionable letters, telephone calls, SMS, MMSS, e-mails, etc;
d. sexual jokes or innuendo or taunts causing or likely to cause embarrassment to the child;
e. gender-based insults or sexist remarks;
f. actual or attempted penetrative sexual intercourse with a child;
g. non-penetrative sexual activity, e.g. rubbing the penis between the child’s thighs or genitals;
h. touching, pinching, or fondling a child’s sexual parts, i.e. genitals breasts or buttocks;
j. oral sex with a child, i.e. mouth or sexual parts;
k. masturbation between adult and child;
l. the abuser showing his or her private parts to the child;
m. the exploitative use of a child in prostitution or any other unlawful sexual practice;
n. the exploitative use of a child in pornography;
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o. showing pictures of a sexual nature to the child that he or she does not want to see;
p. letting the child watch or hear an act of sexual intercourse;
q. forcing a child into marriage; and Unwelcome sexually determined behavior in the form of verbal- non-verbal and physical
r. Eve-teasing
s. Displaying pornographic or other offensive or derogatory pictures, cartoons, pamphlets or saying.
t. Any other act which violates or is likely to violate the child’s privacy or cause mental or physical disturbance to the child due to its sexual nature or content.
u. anyone who administers or help getting child administers any drug or hormone or any chemical substance, with the intent that such child attains early sexual maturity
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Measures for Protection from Child Sexual Abuse (CSA)
1. Selection of employees
the school children.
II. No candidate with a criminal record of sexual and or physical violence against children should be recruited for any position within
an educational institution.
III. All newly selected candidates must also provide a signed affidavit to the educational institution that they have not been accused
of offence under the POCSO Act, 2012 and JJ Act, 2015.
IV. Persons employed on an ad-hoc or contractual basis to teaching as well as nonteaching positions must be made to adhere to the
aforementioned.
V. It must be ensured that at least half of the total number of teaching staff is female (as mentioned under SSA) , in order to ensure
that girl students are provided adequate care and protection.
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Policy regarding employees in respect of Child Sexual Abuse (CSA) �
amounting to sexual abuse of the child.
II. A grievance committee for child sexual abuse (CSA) to address cases of child sexual abuse should be formed by the school.
The constitution, roles and responsibilities of the committee should be as follows;
(a) Schools must constitute a CSA committee within one month of academic year every year.
(b) The CSA committee should constitute of 25% students and 50% representatives of management and teachers and 25%
SMC Members/PTA. The representatives of the committee should be 50% females.
(c) The term of CSA committee will be one year. Every year new committee will be constituted by giving representation to
students in rotation. Every year at-least 2/3rd of the representatives of children should be replaced with new members.
(d) Meeting of CSA committee should be conducted every month and proceedings of meetings be recorded.
(e) The main functions of the committee shall be responsible for creation of awareness regarding CSA in schools, good touch
vs bad touch, complaint box, report any all instances of CSA to the authorities.
(f) To encourage students to report any fear or apprehension of sexual abuse to any person in whom the student has trust
and confidence, so that appropriate measure can be taken.
III. Courteous and polite behaviour to students so as to assure a safe environment.
IV. Zero Tolerance Policy towards sexual abuse of students by employees
V. Vigilant outlook by teachers and other employees’ w.r.t. CSA and reporting of the same either to the authorities or Police.
VI. To provide adequate support and guidance to all students and provide a forum to present their concerns.
VII. All children must be escorted during travel for school outings. Where any girl student is present in such group of students,
a female teacher must also accompany the group. The escorting employee must travel along with the students in the same coach/ compartment / vehicle. �
VIII. Permission must be obtained from each child’s parent / family member for the child to participate in certain activities, such as field trips, late-night activities, and overnight trips.
IX. Parents must be provided a platform to raise any concerns relating to their children.
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Conduct
I. Prevent contact between the child and the offender until an investigation has taken place. Explain to the child that he / she should tell them immediately if the offender attempts to touch or bother them again in any way.
II. Do not talk to the offender in front of the child.
III. Continue to believe the child and do not blame him / her for what happened. Give the child support and reassurance that he / she is okay and safe.
IV. Respond to concerns or feelings the child expresses about sexual abuse calmly. Listen to the child but do not ask a lot of questions.
V. Respect the child’s privacy by not telling a lot of people, and make sure that other people who know, don’t bring the subject up to the child.
VI. Make sure that all children are given enough information on personal safety so as to be able to protect themselves from the offender without discussing the details of the incident.
VII. As per the provision of the POCSO Act, 2012 the identity of any child who has been victim of sexual abuse shall be strictly maintain with confidentiality and the same should not be made public.
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Sensitization and awareness of staff towards prevention, identification, and reporting of child sexual abuse and sexual violence:
Staff members should be taught to understand the basic characteristics of a sexual abuse, the process used by an abuser to choose and prepare a child for abuse (grooming), and key indicators of sexual abuse, and be prepared to respond immediately to inappropriate or harmful behavior, potential risk situations, and potential boundary violations. These are to include:
II. In-house induction sessions for all teachers and staff
III. Provision for guidance and counseling
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C. Additional Safeguards
I. Complaints/Grievance redressal system
II. Presence of CCTV cameras
III. Well lit and accessible bathrooms/toilets
IV. Monitoring of student behavior and performance
Grievance redressal System with regard to matters of Sexual Offences against Children at NCPCR- POCSO-E-BOX
POCSO e-box is a major initiative by NCPCR to help children seek help and report such crimes directly to the Commission.
FILING COMPLAINT THROUGH POCSO E-BOX
It is incorporated prominently in the home page of NCPCR website where the user has to simply press a button named, POCSO e-box which will navigate to a page with the window having a short animation movie telling children/complainant that it's not their fault and they need not have to feel bad.
NCPCR POCSO e-button
Details are available at- www.ncpcr.gov.in
E-mail id: pocsoebox-ncpcr@gov.in
CYBER SAFETY AND SECURITY
Cyber safety is the safe and responsible use of information and communication technology.
It is about keeping information safe and secure, but also about being responsible with that information,
being respectful to other people online, and using good Internet etiquette
. It includes the body of technologies, processes and practices designed to protect networks, computers, programs and data
from attack, damage or unauthorized access
Cyber safety addresses the ability to act in a safe and responsible manner on the Internet and other connected
environments.
These behaviours protect personal information and reputation and include safe practices to minimize danger online.
CYBER SECURITY
The dictionary meaning says that Cyber Security is a state of being protected against the criminal or unauthorized use of electronic data, or the measures taken to achieve this.
It is the collection of tools, policies, security concepts, security safeguards, guidelines, risk management approaches, actions, training, best practices, assurance and technologies that can be used to protect the cyber environment and organization and user’s assets.
Organization and user’s assets include connected computing devices, personnel, infrastructure, applications, services, telecommunications systems, and the totality of transmitted and/or stored information in the cyber environment.
Challenges in Cyber Security
Cyber security has been considered as one of the most urgent security problems. Usually, the networks and systems of an educational institution are not as strong and secure as that of commercial organizations. It might be because of many reasons like:
2. There might be a lack of IT security policy monitoring and implementation in such institutions.
3. Users might carry and use their own device within the campus and the institution’s network.
4. Many institutions have their own open Wi-Fi hotspots and network access, which may be used by hackers and cyber criminals as a tool to breach security and access valuable information.
5. There is a huge amount of user data which can be hacked or compromised by cyber criminals. This may include a wide range of information like the students’ personal information, credit card data or financial information. Moreover, cyber criminals may also target the huge amount of intellectual property generated through research.
COMMON THREATS IN CYBER SAFETY
3.1 PHISHING
Phishing is a type of social engineering attack often used to steal data, including login credentials and credit card numbers. Phishing occurs when attackers/scam artists masquerading as a trusted entity send text, email, or pop-up messages to get people to share their personal and financial information. The recipient is then tricked into clicking a malicious link which can lead to the installation of malware, the freezing of the system as part of a ransomware attack or revealing of sensitive information. The attackers often use such sensitive information to commit identity theft.
3.1.1 How One Can Avoid Phishing
a) One must not reply to any text, email, or pop-up messages that ask for personal or financial information, and further one must not click any links in the message. A person should resist the urge to cut and paste a link from the message into their web browser.
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One must not give any personal information on the phone in response to a text message. Some scammers send text messages that appear to be from a legitimate business and ask you to call a phone number to update your account or access a “refund.” If you give them your information, they use it to run up charges in your name.
c) A person must Be cautious about opening any attachment or downloading any files from emails that one receives, regardless of who sent them. Unexpected files may contain viruses or spyware that the sender doesn’t even know are there.
d) Use security software and update it regularly.
e) Read your mail; review credit card and bank account statements as soon as you get them to check for unauthorized charges.
f) Parents and Teachers must also engage children in activities creating awareness
regarding phishing, so they can develop good Internet security habits at an early stage. Parents & Teachers must lookout for “teachable moments”- For example children must be shown a various example of phishing messages, to help them understand that messages on the Internet are not always what they seem.
CYBER BULLYING
Cyberbullying is bullying with the use of digital technologies. It is a form of harassment or bullying inflicted through the use of electronic or communication devices such as computer, mobile phone, laptop, etc19. It is a punishable offence under the Information Technology Act, 2000 and the Indian Penal Code.
It also involves posting pictures or videos aimed at harassing another person. A whole gamut of social platforms, including chat rooms, blogs and instant messaging are used in cyberbullying. There are considerable negative effects of cyberbullying, including academic achievement, mental health, and quality of life in general.
Cyberbullying includes-
i. Posting hurtful, nasty rumours or comments on updates, pictures and videos shared by an individual on websites.
ii. Uploading embarrassing photographs online without the person's permission.
iii. Excluding individuals of different cultural, socio-economic backgrounds from online groups and forums.
iv. Stealing someone's account password and sending unwanted/inappropriate messages from that account to harass other individuals.
The following set of ‘Do’s and Don’ts’22 shall be useful for students as well as School Authorities in ensuring bullying-free cyber space-
Do’s
Create a strong password according to password guidelines, and frequently change passwords to prevent misuse.
Read the privacy settings very carefully on social networking sites.
Communicate only with known people.
Be careful while posting photographs, videos and any sensitive information on websites as they leave digital footprints which stay online forever.
Ensure that only authorized personnel access computer systems and labs.
Report immediately to the support team of the networking site if you suspect that your account has been hacked or stolen.
Invest in a strong network security system.
Use only verified open-source or licensed software and operating systems.
Set up your computer for automatic antivirus software and operating system updates.
Don’ts
Don’t reveal your password to anyone other than your parent or guardian.
Don’t reveal personal information like age, address, phone number, school name etc. as this can lead to identity theft.
Don’t post anything which hurts others feelings.
Don’t post your friends’ information on networking sites, which can put them at risk.
Don’t forward anything that you read on social media without verifying it from a trusted source.
Don’t leave your account unattended after login, log out when you are not using it.
Don’t create fake profiles for yourself on any social networking site.
Don’t use personal devices such as personal USBs or hard drives on public networks or computers.
Don’t open links and attachment on social networking sites and block file extensions such as .bat, .cmd, .exe, .pif by filtering software.
CYBER GROOMING
Sometimes strangers, or even people who are known, build an emotional connection with children and young people online or face-to-face to gain their trust for the purposes of sexual abuse or exploitation. Many children and young people begin to feel that a special friendship or relationship is developing and do not understand that they are being groomed. “Grooming” is subtle but has serious consequences23.
3.1.1. Ways in which people online may seek to persuade children-
a) Bribing: This can range from offering money and gifts. The gifts may even be in the form of points or lives and in-game rewards in an online game.
b) Flattery: Constant attention and praise can be a way of winning the affection of the targeted child.
c) Sexualized games and intimacy building: Gradual introduction of subtly sexual allusions in conversation or during play are used to test the child’s vulnerability. If the child positively responds to his overtures, he will attempt to build further intimacy with the child.
d) Desensitization: They try to desensitize the child to sexual acts by showing the child, pornography and child sexual abuse imagery. Constant exposure to explicit content may ‘normalize’ sexual behavior for the child and ‘desensitize’ her/him.
e) Threats and blackmail: They employ forceful coercion to gain access to the child.
f) Scattergun approach: When they do not know what the child will respond to, they may try all of the above in an effort to win the child’s attention and interest.
g) Inform and discuss with friends, family members, teachers or anyone you trust any annoying or uncomfortable occurrence or activity such as extra friendly behaviour, cyber stalking, bullying and strange behavior online.
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Protecting Oneself/Child from becoming a victim of cyber grooming:
1. One must be educated as to not accept a friend request from unknown people on social media platforms. Cyber groomer can even create a fake account to befriend victims.
2. One must be educated as to not share their personal information like date of birth, address, phone number and school name on social media or other online platforms. One can go to the privacy settings on their social media platforms as to select who can access their posts online. One must try to restrict access of their profile to their friends only.
3.One must always be cautious when the person one is chatting to give too many compliments regarding their appearance in just a short span of your acquaintance.
4. One must avoid talking to people who ask questions related to one’s physical or sexual experiences. One can either ask the person to stop asking such questions when it makes one feel uncomfortable. If they continue to do the same, one must immediately inform parents/elders/teachers etc.
5. One must educate people to not talk to people who ask to share their sexually explicit photographs or videos.
6. Educate children to never turn on webcam for any unknown person.
7. Educate a child to talk to their elders or parents, if their chat partner suggests keeping their conversation with them secret.
8. Educate a child as to not go and meet any person whom they met online alone. One must always take a friend or any elder person while going to meet someone whom one met online.
9. One must be educated/made aware to never install unwanted software and apps like dating app, online games etc. from unknown sources. One should be careful while chatting in chat rooms. One should never share personal details in the chat room and limit their identity.
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Safety on Social Media:
Most people use social media to stay connected with friends and have fun. However, there are some people who use it as a platform to offend people or cause them harm. It is especially important to educate a child about how to be safe from such elements. Teachers/schools/Educational Institutions can educate the children about the following:
Schools shall not allow use of social media platforms in schools by students, teachers or anyone engaged in school
a) Setting Profile to Private: One must think carefully
about what one posts online and who should be its audience. Children should be educated to consider setting their profile settings to 'friends/followers' only.
b) Remember anything you post can be shared: Children must be educated that even with strong privacy settings in place, it is important to know that whatever one posts online is never private and can be shared. It is therefore important that one must always think before posting.
c) Recognize the fakes: Children must be educated that not everyone on social media will be who they say they are. There can be young people and adults who pretend to be someone else and could cause harm. For example: They may want to trick you into sharing private or personal information that they could use against you. It's important that one should never meet up with someone you don't know, and that you always let an adult know where you are going and who you are meeting. There have been occasions where children are tricked into meeting adults who then cause them harm.
d) Protect your identity: Children must be educated that their phone number, address, bank details and any information that may hint at their passwords should never be shared online.
Schools shall not allow use of social media platforms in schools by students, teachers or anyone engaged in school
THANK YOU