THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: As per records at the district Childline from April 2018 to March 2019, the increase in the number of calls reveal a high rate of physical abuse. According to the officials, the rate of child marriage and child labour has reduced considerably but physical abuse is increasing at an alarming rate.
According to the Thiruvananthapuram Don Bosco Veedu Society and Childline director Thomas P D, the number of calls received at the three Childline centres in the district including Railway Childline, Thiruvananthapuram Social Service and Don Bosco Veedu Society say the same story - physical abuse. "From a total of 1,001 calls received at the centre, 195 were child sexual abuse cases, 293 physical abuse cases and 176 children became preys for emotional abuse. We give priority to protection from abuse cases and try to reach out at the earliest," said Thomas.
The calls received for medical help amounts to 18 while the calls for shelter amounts 327. A total of 316 calls were received at the centre for restoration and 575 calls received regarding Emotional Support and Guidance (ESNG). As many as 17 calls were received regarding missing children and 8 calls regarding missing child found. The number of child marriage amounts to 16 while child labour amounts to 10 and child begging counted 9 cases. According to the coordinator of Childline at Tampanoor Intervention Unit Mereena Emanuel, the count of calls regarding child marriage, child labour and child begging has reduced at a rate of 50 per cent.
The rate of corporal punishment is 18 while the school dropouts amount to 63. Substance abuse amounts to 113 and abandoned neglect and family issues counts to 108.
The Childline with the help of NGO has put in a lot of efforts to protect the rights of children in the district. Regarding this year's Childline projects Mereena said, "We plan to strengthen awareness among parents, teachers, police and NGOs owing to increased cases of physical abuse cases. Also, the village child protection committees will be were strengthened through Kumbhashree." More innovative programmes will be organised by Childline in the district to give maximum awareness on protecting children and their rights. "The protection of the child is not the duty of parents or police alone but the duty of society as a whole," she added.
