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Child Protection
We work to ensure the realization of children's rights to grow up in a family
environment, protected from violence, abuse and exploitation

© UNICEF/UN0281021/Vishwanathan

Available in: English िहं दी

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Protecting India’s children from violence, abuse

and exploitation

India has a wide range of laws to protect children and child protection is increasingly
accepted as a core component of social development. The challenge is in implementing the
laws due to inadequate human resource capacity on the ground and quality prevention and
rehabilitation services. As a result, millions of children are prone to violence, abuse and
exploitation.

Violence takes place in all settings: at home, school, childcare institutions, work and in
the community. Often violence is perpetrated by someone known to the child.

India has a fairly comprehensive policy and legal framework addressing rights and
protection for children, providing opportunities to ensure that all children have equal access
to quality protection services. The core child protection legislation for children is enshrined
in four main laws: The Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection) Act (2000, amended in 2015);
The Prohibition of Child Marriage Act (2006); The Protection of Children from Sexual
Offences Act (2012), and The Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act (1986,
amended in 2016).

Over the past ^ve years, notable efforts have been made to set up fast track courts and
deal with cybercrime against children and women. In 2019, the Protection of Children from
Sexual Offences Bill was amended, stipulating stricter punishment for sexual crimes
against children.

Violence against children is widespread and remains a harsh reality for millions of children
from all socio-economic groups in India. Both girls and boys in India face early marriage,
domestic abuse, sexual violence, violence at home and in school, traacking, online
violence, child labour and bullying. All forms of violence, abuse and exploitation have
lifelong consequences on children’s lives.

Exact data on violence, abuse and exploitation is not suacient, but overall the nation is
becoming increasingly aware of violence against children, especially sexual abuse. Several
cases that may have earlier gone unnoticed, are now being reported.

Anger and shock at child sexual abuse and violence against children are not enough. We
all need to come together to #ENDviolence against children.

© UNICEF/UN0382198/Singh
Sathey poses for photographs in a a primary school in a village in Jalna, Maharashtra. UNICEF works with the child
protection systems in Maharashtra to improve care alternatives for children beginning with family strengthening

Violence against children is widespread and remains a harsh reality for millions of children
from all socio-economic groups in India. Both girls and boys in India face early marriage,
domestic abuse, sexual violence, violence at home and in school, traacking, online
violence, child labour and bullying. All forms of violence, abuse and exploitation have long-
lasting consequences on children’s lives.

Exact data on violence, abuse and exploitation is not suacient but overall India is becoming
increasingly aware of violence against children, especially sexual abuse. Several cases that
may have earlier gone unnoticed, are now being reported.

Anger and shock at child sexual abuse are not enough. We all need to come together to
#ENDviolence against children.

India has articulated its UNICEF strongly believes that all Data on sexual violence is scarce
commitment to eliminating child children have the right to grow in a and is mainly based on the
marriage through numerous safe and nurturing family reporting of cases, thus implying
policies, laws and environment. Yet, across the that the ^gures underestimate the
programmes. The world, children continue to be magnitude of the problem,
country’s progress in past decade separated or are at a risk of being especially as many cases go
is one of the strongest among separated from their families. unreported.
countries in South Asia. These children include those
living on the streets, transport From the cases that are reported,
Yet, one in four Indian girls aged terminals, and childcare it can be observed that sexual
20-24 were found to have been institutions as well as child abusers are mainly male and
married before 18 years of age, as workers or child victims of human often individuals known to the
per the National Family Health traacking. child. As per the National Family
Survey (2019-21). The persistence Health Survey (2019-21), 1.5% of
In the absence of viable options,
of child marriage remains a young women in the age group
institutional care is the primary
potential deterrent to India’s 18-29 reported having
response for children in such
likelihood of achieving experienced sexual violence
situations. However, research
Sustainable Development Goal 5 before the age of 18.
studies show that children who
by 2030.
grow up in institutional care UNICEF strongly believes that all
demonstrate long-term adverse children have the right to grow in a
outcomes in terms of physical, safe and nurturing family
cognitive, and mental health. environment. Yet, across the
UNICEF work to ensure vulnerable world, children continue to be
children have increased equitable separated or are at a risk of being
access to interventions that separated from their families.
prevent family separation and These children include those
promote family-based alternative living on the streets, transport
care and prevent exploitation. terminals, and childcare
Family Care is widely recognized institutions as well as child
as being in children’s best interest. workers or child victims of human
traacking.

In the absence of viable options,

institutional care is the primary
response for children in such
situations. However, research
studies show that children who
grow up in institutional care
demonstrate long-term adverse
outcomes in terms of physical,
cognitive, and mental health.

Solutions to end violence, abuse and exploitation

Progress has been made in generating social awareness, enhancing legislation and
nurturing action towards ending violence, abuse and exploitation of children, but more
needs to be done to ensure survivors and their families bene^t from sensitive, timely and
eacient protection and services.

UNICEF in India works towards strengthening child protection systems; ending child
marriage; protecting children on the move; promoting family-based alternative care,
adolescent participation and engagement, and mental health and psychosocial support
(MHPSS); and preventing child labour, violence against children, and gender-based
violence.

UNICEF also focuses on implementation of key child protection legislation and promotion
of practices that protect children from violence, abuse and exploitation.

Building on increasing awareness towards child abuse in India, UNICEF can play a major
role in enhancing two missing elements of government action: prevention and rehabilitation
of survivors of child abuse and exploitation.

Prevention is central to UNICEF programming as it is the most effective way to deal with
child sexual abuse and exploitation. Ensuring India’s children are suaciently protected
requires more than the existing investment, which too is focused on post-incident
responses.

UNICEF India also works with the government to provide well-established family-based
alternative care options for children without parental care. UNICEF focuses on services to
prevent separation of children from families and on rehabilitative services for
deinstitutionalized children and care leaving youth.

UNICEF takes a broad view of the range of support services that provide healing to
victims/survivors and their families including focus on counselling, restorative justice
programmes, support for school continuation, employment and social protection. Priority is
given to promoting social protection programmes which incentivize the reduction of child
labour and child marriage.

© UNICEF/UN0210129/Singh
Children play near Deonar dumping yard at Deonar area in Mumbai.

A key area of work for UNICEF is to strengthen and advocate for effective delivery of
preventive and responsive child protection services in selected states. Working in
coordination with the Government of India, 17 state governments, and civil society
organizations, UNICEF is creating the building blocks of a child protection system, including
^nancial and human resources, ^nancial institutions, delivery of programmes and
monitoring and evaluation.

UNICEF and its India partners are working together to ensure that children are protected
from work and exploitation, which is harmful to their development. They are working to
ensure that children remain in economically stable family homes and get the opportunity to
go to school and be educated.

UNICEF joins hands with government, civil society organizations and other partners in
building communities and families where children are safe and free of abuse and
exploitation.

To know more about UNICEF's work in India around Child

Protection, visit
• UUSA's Lion Fund
• Padia, Purvi and Harsh

Resources

Page Report Report Document

Padia, Purvi and Ending child Supporting EVAC Strategy

Harsh marriage in India: adolescent India
Protecting children Drivers and transition to The Strategy cuts
without family care in strategies adulthood across sectors and
India maximizes the
India has articulated its What works and what
convening capacity of
commitment to doesn't
UNICEF to support
eliminating child
government and
marriage through
partners
numerous policies,
laws and programmes.

Visit the page See the full report See the full report Get the document

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Kavya’s life. सीखना नहीं होता, यह बच्चे के
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The Tadvi family shows
how playful interaction
strengthens family
bonds and fuels early
development through
Project “PA PA PAGLI"

Read the story Read the story Read the story Visit the page

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