As alleged child sexual abuse cases are being reported from all across the country, it has been learnt that a proper procedure to handle such cases has been missing. In order to address this rising need, Bangalore-based National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS) has come up with a protocol-based and comprehensive child centric approach to handle child sexual abuse (CSA) cases.
Over the past years, the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at NIMHANS has received several children with CSA issues. When they come for help after visiting to the Child Welfare Committee, police station, the hospital, by then, the child would have already been subjected to questioning on multiple occasions and therefore to re-traumatization. There are many areas which have to be systematically addressed - the child's reaction to the abuse, ensuring the child's immediate safety, medical and mental health needs of the child, the concerns of the family including social stigma.
As per the protocol prepared by the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at NIMHANS, they have specific ones for the families, for the schools, for the police and for the media. Following the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act 2013 (POCSO) mandates, families can seek for emergency medical services (EMS) within 24 hours of filing the FIR. EMS are provided by state Registered Medical Practitioners (RMP) in government hospitals and only in absence of such an agency the child will be referred to other sectors. Where the Special Juvenile Police Units (SJPU) work in collaboration with government hospitals, the detailed inquiry can be completed in one sitting.
Once the medical examination is over, the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, NIMHANS can offer combined therapeutic and forensic interviewing to assist both the healing of the child and the necessary justice processes. According to the protocol, in children with symptoms, they work through trauma by encouraging expression of feelings regarding the abuse, validating experiences, and teaching personal safety. In very young children, this is done through art and play work. The support given by the parent helps in facilitating better healing of the victimized child.
At the school level, preventive workshops, personal safety workshop, life skills education can help as preventive strategies. However, when an incident takes place the system should have a clear protocol for response. Unless the school has a trained counselor or CSA expert, it should not attempt to interrogate the child. This needs to be done by trained experts. Furthermore, preparation needs to be made to receive the child back to the school in natural and non-stigmatizing ways so that the child re-integrates comfortably.
Police forms an important part of the process. In the immediate aftermath of trauma, when there is non -availability of a trained person within the police forces for sensitive interviewing of the child, they need to refer to an expert where forensic interview protocols are followed in the context of healing interventions. Police need to be cognizant that interview processes involving children cannot be hastened as it can exacerbate the trauma and be detrimental to the child's well-being. Meanwhile, the media must protect the identity and privacy of the child without heightening their trauma by repeated and sometimes intrusive queries.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}