As a part of its endeavour to prevent Child Sexual Abuse (CSA), Arpan NGO has partnered with The Free Press Journal to disseminate personal safety messages to children of Grades 1-12. These messages are a part of Arpan’s flagship Personal Safety Education (PSE) programme which is a comprehensive life-skill programme to empower children with the necessary skills to prevent CSA and seek support when needed.
The programme also empowers teachers, parents, and other stakeholders to create safe environments for children to disclose abuse. The following case study highlights how Arpan’s classroom-based PSE lessons empower children with the knowledge to protect themselves from unsafe situations and seek help from helpful adults.
After attending one of PSE lessons, a Grade 8 child requested an individual session with our trainer. During this session, she disclosed an unsafe situation she had experienced with her friends. She shared that her friends from the locality often teased her about her appearance and made inappropriate comments about her body, which made her feel unsafe, nervous, and isolated.
Just days before this incident, the child had attended the PSE session where she had learned about bullying. This knowledge helped her recognise that she had experienced bullying and that the inappropriate comments made by her friends were not acceptable. She had also learnt one of the safety rules that when faced with unsafe situations, it is important to tell a helpful adult.
This knowledge gained form these sessions helped her to assertively tell her friends not to tease her. Next, she confided in a helpful adult – her father. He had also attended a Parent’s PSE session conducted by Arpan. Equipped with the learnings, he trusted her and told her it was not her fault. He addressed the issue directly by telling her friends their behaviour was inappropriate and should not be repeated. This made the child feel safe and comfortable.
This case study reinforces Arpan’s belief that CSA prevention is possible. Children can be champions of their safety and well-being when they have the right support from programmes such as the PSE. At the same time, the supporting ecosystems— the schools, parents and community also need to create safe spaces for children to openly share their concerns without the fear of being judged or shamed.
This article is a part of The Free Press Journal’s ‘SCHOOL’ Edition’s partnership with NGO Arpan to highlight child safety content. This initiative aims to educate and sensitise children, parents and teachers on personal safety and child sexual abuse.
