Impact of Preventive Interventions in Incidences of Sexual Abuse in Residential Schools of Odisha

Abstract

Residential schools have provided an impetus to the education of ST/SC girls in a significant way but safety and security of girls in the residential schools has been a matter of concern. The State Government has taken various preventive interventions to ensure safety and security of girls in residential schools. In order to prevent the abuses and harassments in schools, ST & SC Development Department has issuedGuidelines in 2014, established School and Hostel Monitoring Cell at Bhubaneswar in 2015, initiated Life Skill Education (LSE) in collaboration with UNFPA in 2015. Moreover, important legislations like The Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2000, The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act 2009, Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012, and Odisha Victim Compensation Scheme (notified in 2012) strengthens the initiatives taken by the state government. The study was taken up to assess the impact of the government interventions on incidences of sexual abuses. The study has made an attempt to review legislations and departmental guidelines protecting sexual abuse of girl children, assess and examine situations of residential schools, socio-economic conditions of girl children, awareness at different level about preventive interventions to protect sexual abuse, factors responsible for occurrences of incidences in residential schools and emerging loopholes and suggestions at policy and school level. The study covered 20 schools in 17 blocks across 5 districts (3 Full TSP, one partial TSP and one non-TSP districts). The various preventive and progressive interventions taken by the department has increased the level of awareness among students, teachers as well as officials. The department guidelines are followed very seriously by the officials who frequently visit the schools, interact with girl students and verify about their safety and security.Training on Life Skill Education has instilled confidence among girls, enabled them to identify and report sexual abuse cases. Further, stringent enforcement of POCSO Act and other progressive legislations have also contributed to the increasing rate of registration of cases. Supervisory officials at district and block levels are vigilant and facilitating in reporting and follow-up actions. This has led to the increase in enrollment of students due to decrease in incidences of sexual abuses in schools. The study has also recommended few policy level interventions towards preventing sexual abuse cases in residential schools of Odisha.