• Any intentional harm or mistreatment to a child under 18 years old is

considered child abuse.

• Child abuse is the action when a parent or caregiver, whether through
action or failing to act, causes injury, death, emotional harm or risk of
serious harm to a child.
• It may include any act or failure to act by a parent or a caregiver that results
in actual or potential harm to a child, and can occur in a child's home, or in
the organizations, schools or communities the child interacts with.
“
Abuse as a “learned” behavior.
Abuse is cyclical in nature. That means
it often runs in cycles: the great-
”
grandparents abused the grandparents,
and grandparents abused the parents,
and parents abuse their children, and the
children will eventually turn out to be
abusers also.
• Physical Abuse
• Emotional Abuse
• Sexual Abuse
• Neglect
 Physical abuse of a child is when a  Emotional abuse of a child is when a
parent or caregiver causes any non- parent or caregiver harms a child’s
accidental physical injury to a child. mental and social development, or
Ex.- Beating with the hand or any causes severe emotional harm.
object, Burns from hot rods. Ex.- Rejecting or ignoring, Giving
verbal threats.
 Child neglect is when a parent or
caregiver does not give the care,
 Sexual abuse occurs when an adult
supervision, affection and support
uses a child for sexual purposes or
needed for a child’s health, safety and
involves a child in sexual acts.
well-being.
Ex.- Rape, Fondling, Exploitation.
Ex.- Not focusing on Vaccination,
Adequate food and clothing.
• Change in school performance and relationships with
peers.
• Inappropriate touching of others.
• Suicidal thoughts or depression.
• Chronic somatic problems such as stomach aches,
vomiting, or headaches.
• Aggressive behaviors at school or toward siblings,
possessions, or pets.
• Verbally abusive.
• Angry, hateful, negative attitude.
• May hurt themselves; self destructive activities.
Assam has the second highest cases
of child torture in the country, after
Madhya Pradesh.
On children’s day Assam government
launches an app “Shishu Suraksha”
to report child rights abuse.
 Over the last decade, the Indian government has
escalated the pace at which child abuse issues are
addressed. This has been done through a variety of
instruments, such as devising legal frameworks to
uphold the rights of children.
 Here are some of the most important measures that
the government has undertaken, and how they assist
every Indian child.
1. Protection of Children from Sexual Offence (POCSO) Act:
The 2012 POCSO Act enables fast-tracking and efficient prosecution in
rape law (Section 376), which previously allowed child molesters a legal
loophole. POSCO lays down a seven years prison term that can extend to
life imprisonment. From harassment to gang-rape, all sexual crimes against
children fall under POCSO, which takes the child's verdict as the final word.
2. Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao:
In concern for India's rapidly deteriorating sex ratio, the government
initiated the ‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao’ programme in October 2014.
The program aims to give girl children access to survival, safety and
education. It also fights regressive mindsets by celebrating the girl child,
fighting gender bias, and offers inclusiveness benefits to girls - to fight
female foeticide that is destroying the sex ratio.
3. Corporate Social Responsibility:
According to the Companies Act, companies with a net worth of rupees
500 crores or more, or earning a net profit of rupees 5 crores or more must
invest on corporate social responsibility. The NGO has streamlined
processes to plan, monitor and report large-scale programmes to provide
aid and relief to children.
4. Operation Smile:
Operation Smile is a special initiative of the Union Home Ministry (headed
by Rajnath Singh), and organises regular rescues and rehabilitation of
children pushed into prostitution and bonded labour, to ill-treatment by
parents. The program brings together state police and child departments to
rescue missing children. It specialises in trafficking and is also making
investigations into missing children.
 Help Stop
Child Abuse
Call the Abuse/Neglect Helpline
at
• Offer your child love and attention. A supportive family
environment and social networks can foster your child's self-esteem
and sense of self-worth.
• Don't respond in anger. If you feel overwhelmed or out of control,
take a break.
• Teach your child how to stay safe online. Put the computer in a
common area of your home, not the child's bedroom.
• Save the Children is closely involved in assisting many great
government initiatives to ensure that the most deprived children in
India get to enjoy their rights.