Children’s Day: Why Body Safety Should Come Before ABCs

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Stop child abuse
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Every Children’s Day, we celebrate children; their innocence, their laughter, their bright futures. But when will we truly listen to them??
This is the truth that we keep pushing away: most child sexual abuse doesn’t happen in any dark alleys; it happens inside homes, by people a child trusts.

I felt sick to my stomach today reading about a case of a 12-year-old boy abused by his own mother and her friend. No child should ever endure that kind of betrayal. This has to end.

What needs to be done?

1. Teach body safety as early as the age of 3. ABCs can wait.

Teach when to say NO & share an uncomfortable experience with a safe person

2. Replace Silence With Safe Conversations

3. Screen the Adults Who Access Children ( relatives & friends to tuition teachers or anyone working with children)

4. Strengthen Schools’ Role

Through mandatory POSH/POSC awareness sessions, child safety committees, and counsellors, a safe space should be made available

5. Train Parents: A child’s first line of defense is an informed parent.

6. Make Therapy Accessible: Community-based counselling, affordable child

psychologists and government-supported mental health programs can all help.

7. Stronger Laws, Faster Action

Faster POCSO case disposal & Survivor-friendly courts are the need of the hour.

8. Collective Responsibility

Child safety isn’t a parent’s job alone. It’s a neighbourhood‘s, school’s, government’s, and society’s responsibility.

What can we do as health professionals

1. Recognize red flags early (injuries, behavioural changes, neglect)

2. Make clinics safe spaces for children

3. Educate parents about body safety and boundary respect

4. Introduce routine screening questions for children

5. Follow mandatory reporting under POCSO

6. Document findings accurately and thoroughly

7. Offer non-judgmental emotional support

8. Promote preventive education in schools and communities

Current status of child protection in INDIA

A shift from silence to systems is in action. Stronger POCSO enforcement, child-friendly courts, school-based safety audits, and digital monitoring frameworks are all helping & slowly but certainly are creating an ecosystem where protection is not left to chance.

To conclude

This Children’s Day, we owe our kids more than sweets and speeches. We owe them safe childhoods; For them to be our future, they should be safe first!

MBH/PS

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We knew the importance of teaching this to children but with the recent cases it has become important that we remind this to children regularly so they know what to do if any kind of situation comes up.

As healthcare professionals, it’s our moral right to report any wrong activities and to educate parents. Be the people , children can feel safe to be with and rely on in any situation.

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It’s a very important topic to be discussed, as there are many news reports about child abuse, and some cases remain hidden for various reasons. These topics should be included in our school curriculum, especially regarding good touch and bad touch.

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Very true. Schools are the second homes to any child. Let us hope that our schools get more and more equipped to provide a safe space for them.

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Yes, Children are always the responsibility of society as a whole. Being a health care professional, our duty weighs more on each child entrusted to our care. Being alert and mindful is critical, and responsible reporting should be practised. And as you pointed out, it is important that we reinforce this information to a child regularly.

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A powerful reminder that real change comes from strong systems, not silence. This Children’s Day, safeguarding kids must be our first priority, because their future depends on their safety today.

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Child sexual abuse is not a distant danger, it hides in homes, classrooms, and familiar faces, thriving on silence. Cases like the 12-year-old boy’s are a brutal reminder that children need protection long before celebration. Breaking this cycle begins with body-safety education, open conversations, and adults who listen without judgment. Schools, families, healthcare workers, and communities must work together to create safe, accountable spaces. As professionals, recognizing red flags, reporting promptly, and supporting survivors can save lives. This Children’s Day, our real tribute must be protection not just promises. Silence protects perpetrators; awareness protects children.

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Yes, it is crucial to teach awareness to children at a young age

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