How safe is your community?

Chennai recently woke up to the news of the rape of a 11-year-old girl by 17 men, over seven months, in her housing society.
How safe is your community?

CHENNAI: Chennai recently woke up to the news of the rape of an 11-year-old girl by 17 men, over seven months, in her housing society. Simmering with rage over the monstrous crime, parents talk to Team CE about tighter safety measures and educating children about the touch factor

DILLI RANI, Korukkupet

I believe that our responsibility starts at home. I educate my 15-year-old son to behave well with girls and women. Likewise, a girl child must also be taught about good and bad touch. Off late, nobody is putting an effort into maintaining a good relationship with neighbours. Together, as a community, we can all stand up and fight against these social evils. Rather than attaching a taboo to it, as a progressive society we need to talk about this to our children and be supportive. And lastly, the punishment given to the accused by the court must be made aware to the public. Negative reinforcement and harsh punishments will create a fear among criminals and stop them from indulging in such practices.

J VIKAS KATARIA, Perambur

I stay in North Town Apartment, a 1,500+ gated community. I thought it was safe until this incident sent shivers down my soul. The very first step I have taken is to conduct a session for kids on educating them about good touch, bad touch, and how to tackle if God forbid they are in a situation of this sort. The second step is to ensure that each and every CCTV camera works. It’s crucial for a kid to confide in their parents and share everything with them.

SRIPRIYA SRINIVAS, Thazhambur

I don’t think any parent can say they are 100 per cent sure that their child will be safe in their community. We have to be aware of the current socio-economic scenario in most metros. We must establish an open communication channel with our children — whether we are working or homemakers. We must let them know that they can approach us with anything that is bothering them, teach them to respect and take care of their body from a young age, and install confidence in them. Learning to differentiate good touch from a bad touch is important.

JAYASRI SAMYUKTA, RA Puram

Most families with children move into a gated community for the sake of security. Vigilance by parents and the community members is important. Almost all gated communities use outsourced services these days for housekeeping, maintenance and security staff. The elected representatives of the community must have effective control systems and coordination with the local police for their guidance on best practices and implementation of security parameters. Apart from routine cameras and security doors, the community representatives must screen every staff to be employed within their premises, and get a police verification done for each one of them.

ASHWINI KUMAR, Aminjikarai

Trust is the biggest issue. As a mother of a three-year-old daughter, I don’t know what is safe. We can only teach our kids and not change the society. Right from the security guards to rickshaw-wallas , nobody can be trusted. I believe that personal information regarding the child must not be revealed. Somebody must be there to monitor children playing. As a parent, constantly keeping an eye on the child is our duty whether you’re working or not. Good touch and bad touch must be taught. As the child grows they should be enrolled in self-defence class.

KALPANA MANIVANNAN, Thazhambur

I live in a gated community and I feel safe knowing that there is control over who enters the premises. We have a system where anyone who enters needs to inform the apartment number at the gate and we get a call on our intercom informing about the visitor; only after we approve, the person is allowed inside. Every vehicle that enters and exits the campus is noted down. The security guards are addressed periodically regarding various safety issues. We have CCTV cameras in the corridors and elevators to monitor daily activities. The apartment association is active and ensures that any security lapse is addressed immediately and proactive measures are taken. All vendors and maids are registered and given ID cards.

Inputs by: Roshne Balasubramanian, and Vaishali Vijaykumar

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