Parents worried as crimes by and against children go up

The growing number of crimes involving children, as victim as well as perpetrator, has left parents in the city worried. According to child experts, parents should observe their children keenly to look for various signs as they may indicate if a child is being subjected to some kind of abuse or is likely to commit a crime.

Early this months, the city's conscience was rattled after it emerged that a class VII was murdered by her maternal uncle – she was very fond of him. The killer, a Mira Road resident, strangled the child only to teacher her mother a lesson.

Criminals are not afraid of the law as strict action and quick justice is missing, rues Manori Shah, mother of two daughters (7 and 13). "I feel helpless and sad that young children are being victimised. I fear for the security of my daughters. We tell them not to talk to strangers, avoid going out late at night. We avoid sending them alone even to the next building or the lift."

Till May, Maharashtra saw 5,035 crimes against children. In a disturbing trend, more and more cases are being reported where children themselves commit a crime.

Anusha Chauhan, who has two sons aged 19 and 10, said the decrease in the average age of criminals is a big cause for concern for the society. "I was shaken to read the murder of a Nalasopara boy by two of his friends. And the kids were trying emulate an underworld don. I talk to my children a lot. With my elder son, I was overprotective, and having been a victim of child sexual abuse myself, I wanted him to be able to confide in me. We talk a lot of about good touch, bad touch and not trusting even friends and relatives when it comes to nudity."

Another parent, Yogini Muchhala, mother of two girls aged 7 and 11, said, "We are very friendly with each other and I make it a point to listen to them attentively. This makes our communication easy. We have taught them not to entertain strangers, even if they give some references. If an unknown person comes to fetch them from school giving our names, s/he should know a password, which only my girls know. We try not to leave them without supervision as much as we can."

Seema Hingorrany, clinical psychologist and trauma researcher, said some children go into a depression when they are subjected to any form of abuse. "A lot of parents ask me how to detect depression in their child. I always tell them to maintain eye contacts with their children while talking to them and try to understand the signs they are showing. Don't have dismissive behavior with your child."