Image used for representational purpose
BENGALURU: Child rights activists across the state are demanding that the government amend the Juvenile Justice Act to outlaw verbal and mental abuse and any form of punishment by parents. The activists are now going to draft an amendment and bring it to the notice of both the state and the central governments. Currently, the act makes no specific mention of parents and has a general warning against harassment of children, activists said.
video which shows a man
assaulting his 9-year-old son
Several NGOs in the state that are working with children have decided to submit a representation to the government requesting that physical punishment be banned. The move comes at a time when there is a rise in the number of complaints with the Child Helpline about punishment at home. These include punishments like ignoring the children, verbal and physical abuse. A draft set of rules in this regard will be submitted to the state departments of Primary and Secondary Education, Women and Child Welfare and also to Commission for Protection of Child Rights.
While foreign countries like the US have instituted a mechanism to deal with abusive parents, India does not have one in place. NGO Child Rights Trust (CRT) is leading this initiative. Nagasimha G Rao, Director of CRT told Express, “We are drafting a set of recommendations. We will submit these draft recommendations to the government.”
NGOs are trying to reach out to the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights to make this a national policy. “This is the need of the hour. Many parents think it’s their right to punish kids. This should be banned by bringing amendments to the Juvenile Justice Act,” Nagasimha added.
According to statistics available from Child Helpline, they receive five to six calls a week about parents punishing children. “Children don’t always make the call. In most cases, it is the child’s friend, neighbour or house maid who make the call. We have rescued many such kids and counselled parents,” a senior staff working with the Child Helpline said.
Activists want the Centre to amend the Juvenile Justice Act and include even parents under Article 72, which awards a 3-year jail term to harassers.
