25 - Pocso Committee

HOME PROTECTION OF CHILDREN AGAINST SEXUAL OFFENCES (POCSO) COMMITTEE

PROTECTION OF CHILDREN AGAINST SEXUAL OFFENCES (POCSO) COMMITTEE

We as a K7 International High School for Children aim to provide a high standard of child centered education in a safe supportive learning environment, where values and ethos are promoted.

All children have an equal right to access education in an environment that is safe, protective and conducive to the overall development. The challenges of gender inequality, eve teasing and sexual abuse in school environment call for increased awareness and creating synergy among parents, teachers and schools. In order to ensure strict compliance of the Protection of child from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act 2012, CBSE has taken several initiatives and actions for creating awareness about sexual exploitation among the school children.

Keeping that in mind we have formulated a POCSO committee who will be looking after the safety and security of children.

A Child Abuse Monitoring Committee (CAMC), consisting of the following members is constituted under Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO Act) 2012 for the academic session 2019-20.

OBJECTIVE

The objectives of the Committee are:

• Prevent discrimination and sexual harassment against students, by promoting gender sensitivity among students
• Deal with cases of discrimination and sexual harassment, in a time bound manner, aiming at ensuring support services to the victimized and termination of the harassment
• Recommend appropriate punitive action against the guilty party to the Chairperson.

PROCEDURE FOR APPROACHING COMMITTEE

The Committee deals with issues relating to sexual harassment at the Green Valley School. It is applicable to all students. A complaint of discrimination or sexual harassment may be lodged by the victim or a third party. A written complaint may be addressed to the Convener of the Committee. If the complaint is made to any of the Committee members, they may forward it to the Convener of the Committee against Sexual Harassment. Here it should be noted that according to the guideline Sexual harassment can be defined as “unwelcome” sexually determined behaviour

(WHETHER DIRECTLY OR BY IMPLICATION) AS:

• Physical contact and advances
• Demand or request for sexual favours
• Sexually coloured remarks
• Showing pornography
• Other unwelcome physical, verbal or non-verbal conduct of a sexual nature.

THE FOLLOWING IS ALSO SEXUAL HARASSMENT AND IS COVERED BY THE COMMITTEE:

• Eve-teasing,
• Unsavory remarks,
• Jokes causing or likely to cause awkwardness or embarrassment,
• Innuendos and taunts,
• Gender based insults or sexist remarks,

• Unwelcome sexual overtone in any manner such as over telephone (obnoxious telephone calls) and the like,
• Touching or brushing against any part of the body and the like,
• Displaying pornographic or other offensive or derogatory pictures, cartoons, pamphlets or sayings, • Forcible physical touch or molestation and • Physical confinement against one’s will and any other act likely to violate one’s privacy.

PROCEDURE FOLLOWED TO IMPLEMENT IT

1) TEACHERS’ WORKSHOPS

Gender Sensitization workshop is being conducted on a regulr basis where Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) act is discussed. The teachers are trained to attend to adolescence related issues. They are primarily made aware to notice the behavior pattern of children. This particularly includes close monitoring of academic performance and psychological behavior, categorically in cases of sudden decline in performance, lack of interest, depression, aloofness etc. The teachers are educated on how to counsel a child if they notice such behavior pattern. They are also well trained to talk to parents on the subject of child sexual abuse from time to time.

2) STUDENTS’ WORKSHOPS

In order to provide a safe, protective and conducive environment to our children for their overall development, we keep conducting workshops wherein children are taught to differentiate between good touch and bad touch. They are encouraged not to hide things and to report inappropriate behaviour to their teacher.

There is also a provision of complaint box in the school, where children can drop their complaints though we have not received any complaints so far.

3) SELF DEFENSE TRAINING PROGRAMME

Special activities like WUSHU classes are regularly held in school which not only give self defense training but also boost their confidence.

4) CCTV CAMERAS

The entire School premises and every Class room is under CCTV surveillance which is personally monitored by the Head of the Institution

5) SCHOOL COUNSELLOR

Regular visits to each class is done by the School Councellor to interact with the students and train them regarding difference between good and bad touch.

All children have as equal right to access education in an environment that is safe, protective and conducive to the overall development. The challenges of gender inequality, eve-teasing and sexual abuse in school environment call for increased awareness and creating synergy among parents, teachers and school. In order to ensure strict compliance of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Committee (POCSO) Act 2012, CBSE has taken several initiatives and actions for creating awareness about sexual exploitation among school children. The committee will take appropriate and necessary action on reported cases of misbehaviour of sexual offences in the school premises. To safeguard the interests of the learners, School set up the POCSO Committee (set up under the provisions of Prevention of Children from Sexual Offence Act 2012). The Committee works towards safeguarding the learners from the challenges they face in their formative years at school. The Committee takes up age-appropriate initiatives to create awareness about sexual exploitation and to ensure that all learners are aware of their rights and responsibilities towards themselves. Training sessions are conducted for the faculty and staff to recognize and report issues of abuse and neglect. Complaint Boxes are placed strategically and checked regularly by the Committee members to address the complaints, if any. Through its awareness campaigns and programmes, the Committee strives to ensure that all learners are treated with dignity and respect at all times. Gender Sensitivity Awareness programmes are conducted for learners. In a series of Awareness programmes and Special School Assembly conducted in the school throughout the year, learner participation is encouraged. Age-appropriate videos are shown and self-defence sessions are also conducted as a part of the Awareness programmes.

The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Committee (POCSO) re-constituted as under for the session 2024 – 202